Operation Geronimo: The Infantry Witches of the 45th
by GeneralAshton
Summary: While the Air Witches and Ground Witches, like the 501st or 504th, gain their fame in combat and are highly known, what about the ones that perform the dangerous and dirty work? Follow the special infantry witches, the 45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad, tasked with special operations as they go behind enemy lines. Performing missions others are not willing to perform...
1. Chapter 1: Operation Geronimo

**Hello guys. Name's General Ashton, bringing you a Strike Witches Fanfic! If you know me, I do a crossover fic between Titanfall and Strike Witches. Don't worry, that one's gonna continue too. But I had an idea about the witches in general. So this story is me presenting said idea. I plan on writing more on this story, so I hope you guys enjoy. So what's the idea?**

**Special Operations and Infantry Witches.**

**So, without further ado, Let's begin!**

* * *

_Chapter 1: Operation Geronimo_

* * *

Audrey Cosens was fast asleep, snug in her wool blanket. Lying in her bed, she snored away inside the cold barracks. After all, winter in Gallia was fairly chilly. She was busy dreaming of having her favorite Montreal smoked meat sandwich, taking every delicious bite. Even in her sleep, she was drooling from how real it felt to bite into delectable goodness. Sadly for her, her dream was to come to an abrupt end.

"Audrey! Wake up!"

"Wha..." Audrey woke up to see glaring, annoyed gray-green eyes.

"Audrey, it's already 0900! You got to get up earlier!"

"Fran... can you quiet down... you're so loud..." Audrey rubbed her eyes and yawned. The annoyed Karlsland witch stood there with impatience.

"No, this is unacceptable. For a Faraway Lander, you act like a Liberion." The Karlslander witch said. Audrey just lazily laid there, still half asleep.

"Besides, I came to wake you up because we have a mission briefing to attend to." That statement shook Audrey awake.

"A-A mission briefing?!" Audrey suddenly sat up and got out of her bed. She looked at Fran.

"When is it?"

"In fifteen minutes."

Audrey panicked, immediately running towards her equipment locker in her room. Fran just sighed as the Faraway infantry witch was scrambling through, pulling out toiletries and a towel out.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" Audrey yelled back in panic. Fran just gave her an annoyed look.

"Didn't you think I tried? I've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes! Also, you have a bit of drool on your right cheek." Audrey blushed from embarrassment, quickly wiping the drool off her face. She immediately ran towards the shower rooms with her pajamas still on, carrying her towel and toiletries with her.

"Can you get my uniform ready?" Audrey called out from the hallway. Fran just sighed, going to Audrey's locker. She pulled out a hanged Faraway Land airborne infantry uniform (top and bottom), black polished boots, a Liberion-style airborne helmet (winter-white camouflage), and a pair of olive-colored gloves and a standard Liberion army pea-colored winter scarf. All of these articles of clothing were laid on the Faraway Lander's bed in an orderly manner.

Within a minute, Audrey came back wrapped in a towel, still damp from her quick shower. She tossed her toiletries inside her equipment locker and ran to put on her uniform. Fran immediately blushed and turned away as Audrey tossed her towel aside, leaving her exposed.

"A-Audrey! Don't change in front of me! I'm still here!" Fran yelled.

"No time!" Audrey responded, putting on her top uniform. "Besides, we're both girls! What's the big deal?"

"That's not the point..."

"Ah crap. My panties! Where are they?" Fran blushed some more, still averting her eyes away from the bare-bottom witch. Fran immediately went to Audrey's locker, fishing out some underwear.

"Catch." Fran flung the article of clothing without looking, which Audrey caught in a single swipe. Audrey immediately put them on, then turned to put on her pants. Within two minutes, she had everything on, boots laced and all.

"Thanks, Fran. You're a life saver." Audrey said. Fran just sighed, going through Audrey's locker once more.

"Yeah, yeah... Also catch. You'll need a winter coat, since it's snowing outside." Fran tossed the Liberion-issue winter trench coat to the Faraway Lander. Audrey caught it and swiftly put it on. She was buttoning it down as the Karlsland witch began to open the door.

"C'mon! We're about to be late!" Fran yelled. Audrey immediately followed her, and the two ran out into the hallway.

The two infantry witches exited the barracks and onto the cold Gallian ground of the airfield. Around them, infantry regiments from Liberion, Brittainia, and Gallia were doing drills on the grounds. Passing by, the hangars were filled with an assortment of bombers and planes, most of them were Liberion B-17's, P-51's, Brittainian Beaufighters, Spitfires, and Lancasters. Some hangars housed striker units of similar variants to the fighters displayed. Air witches and pilot crews were tending to their respective machines, or simply hanging out and training. Few caught sight of the duo running and smirked.

"Morning Audrey!" One air witch called. Audrey waved back and smiled before continuing to run alongside the Karlsland witch.

"We've got a few minutes till the briefing starts!" Fran spoke. The two then entered the main base, quickly walking in.

* * *

"Audrey's late again."

The Liberion airborne lieutenant sighed. He wore the standard airborne uniform, as he just laid back in his folded chair. The meeting room was a oval table with a chalkboard at the front. Two other infantry witches and two soldiers were awaiting at the table, ready for the briefing. At the front stood a Liberion Major, with a clipboard at hand.

"Well, Audrey sometimes oversleeps." One of the witches, a Liberion, said. "I dunno how she does it consistently, though."

"You almost overslept too, Danny." Another Liberion witch said timidly.

"But I did get here on time, didn't I Wilma? So I don't see the point." Danielle yawned.

"Yeah... I guess you're right..." The Liberion witch replied, sweatdropping on her friend's nonchalant attitude.

"Ahem, you two. The major's already here." An annoyed Brittainian infantry witch said.

"Er... s-sorry sir." Wilma spoke quietly.

"No, be at ease. We are still waiting for Staff Sergeant Christen and Sergeant Cosens to arrive." The Liberion major replied before taking his seat.

"Thank you, sir." Wilma responded.

"See that, Jane? You got to lighten up a bit..." Danielle smirked. The Brittainian witch, Jane, gave her an annoyed look.

"You yanks... all the same..." Jane muttered.

"Did you say something?" Danielle smirked, getting closer to the Brittainian witch. Jane turned around to glare at Danielle.

"P-Please... don't fight..." Wilma nervously spoke.

"You two, clam it. I don't want to deal with a cat fight early in the morning." One of the liberion soldiers, a captain, calmly spoke. He drank the coffee he had in front of him.

"Y-Yes sir..." Jane spoke.

"Yes, Cap. Sorry..." Danielle said. The two just eyed each other, before turning away in in annoyance.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Inside came in two infantry witches.

"S-Sorry, Major Johnson! Sergeant Francia Christen, reporting with Sergeant Audrey Cosens!" Fran gave a crisp salute. Audrey stood there for a minute, then fumbled to give a salute to the liberion major.

"S-Sorry sir... I-I overslept..." Audrey spoke.

"At ease, you two. You're just on time." The major said calmly. "Please, sit. We'll get to this briefing right now." The two sergeants sighed in relief, taking their seats. Wilma and the other Liberion airborne solder stifled a laugh.

"Alright, first, I'd like to congratulate you all on the successful mission you performed during the Neuroi offensive in the Ardennes region."

"Thank you, sir." The Liberion airborne captain said.

"Now, for the mission briefing. This mission has been sent by the request of General Adolfine Galland herself." Everyone was surprised to say the least.

"G-General Galland?!" Fran stuttered.

"Wait, a General?!" Danielle said.

"The witch ace Adolfine Galland?" Jane added.

"Yes, you heard me correctly, ladies. General Adolfine Galland, commander of the Witches Aviation Corps, has requested a mission for you, the 45th Recon squad, to partake in." The Liberion Captain chuckled to himself as he sat up straight.

"Well, what do we have the honor of performing then, sir?" The Liberion Captain spoke up.

"Captain Spiers, your group is to perform a high-priority search and rescue mission." The major said. Everyone listened attentively. If General Galland was sending them a mission, then it really had to be important. Well, except for one witch who though otherwise.

"A rescue mission? Aw, I thought it was going to be something more, coming from a top general..." The other witch, a Brittainian, rudely yawned.

"J-Jackie!" Jane said in surprise, trying to correct the rude manners of her fellow Brittainian. The major was not at all affected by this, still maintaining a calm position.

"Oh, don't worry Sergeant Churchill. This mission is more than just a typical rescue mission." The Brittainian witch then eyed in curiosity.

"I'm listening..." She smiled.

"The mission is a two parted mission. The main objective, from General Galland, is a rescue mission to retrieve a downed witch. She didn't want to spare any details of who the downed witch is, but she said that the witch was shot down around fifty miles behind enemy lines, within the borders of occupied Karlsland." Jackie's grin grew, just like the surprise the others had.

"The first part is where you all will be parachuted within the area where the downed witch was seen. From there, you will have to rescue her and bring her back safely to the nearest allied lines, around fifty-to-seventy miles away. That is the main priority tasked to you by General Galland.

"Of course, Allied central command wanted more to be done. Hit two birds with one stone, so to speak. The Karlsland 7th Wermacht and Liberion 1st Army wants you to be tasked with the sabotage of neuroi defense emplacements within a forty mile radius of the front lines. This in preparation for Operation Lumberjack, a forward offensive to jump into Karlsland and cross the Rhine river. These emplacements are high value, necessary to be taken out before the operation begins to ensure minimal losses. That is your secondary objective.

"The 45th is the only group who can perform this mission, considering the high stakes placed. The Airborne, Rangers, SAS, or Kommandos cannot perform this task for the obvious reasons: too much risk and chance for failure. But this group isn't a ordinary group. Considering that there are six witches and two veteran airborne soldiers, I have no doubt that you can complete the mission. However, I want you all to stay safe. Getting and bringing back that downed witch is top priority first. If you can complete this mission, this would be one for the text books. Any questions?"

Jackie raised her hand enthusiastically.

"So, you're telling me we might blow stuff up?"

"Correct, Sergeant Churchill." Jackie grinned happily.

"Alright!" Jackie exclaimed. Next question came from the other liberion airborne.

"Sir, any preparations we'll need to make for this mission?" The liberion lieutenant asked.

"The surrounding area will be affected by the snow. Reports say that the winter storms will be covering the area, so snow equipment and gear would be necessary. Furthermore, pack rations. There's no telling how long the mission will last. Same with antifreeze."

Another question came from Fran.

"U-Um... our only entry point is from paradrop, correct?"

"Yes, sergeant. You will be paradropped behind enemy lines. That's the only possible way we can send you in that far behind." Fran weakly nodded, sighing. Jane asked her question.

"Sir, how do we know if the witch is still alive? For all we know, as much as I hate to say it, we could be performing a lost cause of a mission."

"The wingman of the downed witch confirmed that she survived her crash landing. They couldn't retrieve her due to the heavy neuroi presence in the air and ground. In fact, she was the one who opted for the search and rescue mission to be performed."

The last question came from Audrey.

"Sir, when will the mission begin?"

"The operation will commence to tonight. At 2100, you are to report to the airfield. From there, you will board the C-47 to the drop zone. Estimated time of your drop is within two hours, at 2300." Everyone was surprised on how close the mission was to be put into effect. Nonetheless, this was a high priority mission.

"Alright then, understood?" The major asked.

"Yes sir!"

"Alright. At 2100, Operation Geronimo will commence. I wish you all luck. This mission rests on your shoulders." The major saluted, which the 45th saluted back. With that, the major exited the room, leaving the 45th to themselves. The 45th then outburst with comments.

"Can you believe it?! We got a top priority mission. From a General!" Danny said.

"This is no simple mission this time..." Wilma said.

"The stakes are pretty high now. We're rescuing a witch and being sent behind enemy lines to perform sabotage. This is some serious stuff we are about to perform." Jane added.

"More importantly, I get to blow stuff up and be sent into the danger!" Jackie exclaimed. Everyone sweatdropped at that statement.

"Jackie, is that all you concern about? Getting to either shoot or blow stuff up?" Danny asked.

"Of course, yankee! Put me in the thick of the fire, and I'll be there to wreck havoc against the damn neuroi!"

"Jacqueline, our mission is to be operated with stealth, not with brute force and destruction present." Fran said. Jackie pouted in annoyance.

"Geez, you krauts know how to take the fun outta something." Jackie muttered, which Fran got irked from.

"She's right, Sergeant. We are performing a stealth mission. If we blow our cover, it's going to be one hell of a fight just to get back to friendly lines." Captain Spiers said. Jackie just sighed in defeat.

"Yes sir..."

Audrey kept thinking on the importance of the mission. This was high stakes. If something happened, one of them could die. Audrey's hands were trembling a bit. She was nervous. Of course, they performed other missions before. But if she messed up, the entire team could die.

"Hey, Audrey." Audrey snapped back into reality. She looked at the Liberion lieutenant.

"H-Huh? Oh, Lieutenant Hathcock..."

"You nervous?" Audrey noticed her hands shaking. She immediately clenched then, stopping them from trembling. Hathcock put his hand atop of her shoulder, patting it.

"Hey, don't be nervous. We're going to do fine. Besides, this isn't the first time we've gotten into the fire." Audrey nodded at the Liberion airborne's statement.

"R-Right!" Audrey spoke up. The other witches turned to face her.

"That's right, Audrey. We're all going in together." Jane said.

"We'll be right next to you. So don't be afraid." Wilma spoke.

"And if you need us, we'll be right there!" Danny added.

"There's nothing to be afraid. We'll all going in together. As a team." Fran said.

"And if there's anything causing you trouble out there, call me. I'll be sure to beat it up!" Jackie spoke heartily. Captain Speirs decided to speak up.

"They are all right, Sergeant Cosens. As a team, we look out for each other. We'll perform this mission calmly, tactically, and with precision. As a team. If anyone needs help, be sure to speak up. If anyone's hurt, be sure to say something. I plan on getting you all back home safely. Same with that downed witch." The captain decided to stand up.

"Everyone, remember to pack your gear accordingly. Check if you have everything. Get on the range and test your weapons. Check your rations, boots, coats, helmets, and gloves. Same with your packs and pouches. I'll be there to check every parachute. Make sure to get some rest and chow before we leave.

We cannot... no... we will not fail. Remember, what's our motto?"

Everyone grinned.

"First to enter, last to leave!"

* * *

**First chapter complete! Nice! So, a downed witch within Neuroi-occupied Karlsland. A special search-and-rescue operation. And a special operations squad consisting of six infantry-based witches and two veteran airborne infantry. Things are a-going!**

**First, I want to give some background information for the story:**

_45th Joint Recon Squad:_

The 45th JRS is a experimental squad that was founded by Project Second Chance. The project combines veteran, conventional soldiers with infantry-based witches. The program was developed in a joint-effort by the allied countries to utilize witches for ground-based operations dealing with sabotage, search and rescue, and reconnaissance,, making them newly categorized as Special Operation Infantry Witches. Witches present in this group were those who fail to become air or ground witches due to failure in training or from physical attributes not up to par with the witch corps standards (such as good eyesight). Some of them were volunteers for the project, opting to be part of these special operations. These witches are trained and commanded by veteran soldiers to perform these high-value operations, making them special operations forces. They are up to par to regular special forces of other countries, if not better due to their enhanced ability from their magic and the use of shields. Although these infantry witches are better than the conventional soldier, they are sent into high-risk missions with high danger. The soldiers that pair with these witches are volunteers, opting to be part of special forces operations. These soldiers teach the skills of specialized infantry, adding more to training than the basics of witch training. These squads consist up around seven-to-ten soldiers. These co-infantry-witch squads are often not mentioned, due to their secrecy in missions that they partake or due to the more well-known fame of air and ground witches, being the unknown faces of the war. Besides the 45th JRS, there are two other squads that were born from Project Second Chance: the 23rd JRS stationed in Africa, and the 52nd Saboteur Corps stationed in Orussia.

The 45th JRS is commanded by Captain Logan Spiers, a Liberion airborne soldier that was part of the 506th. The group is often nicknamed the "_War Hounds_", due to the fact that the familiars of the witches are all dogs. They are also nicknamed (derogatorily) the "_puppies of the 45th_" by the rivaling 23rd JRS. The 45th motto is "_First to Enter, Last to Leave_".

**The witch members of the 45th Joint Recon Squad (all are OC's by me, based off of actual heroic soldiers of World War 2):**

**_Sergeant Audrey Cosens_:**

Country of Origin: Faraway Land

Age: 16

Branch of Military: Liberion Airborne Infantry

Rank: Sergeant

Role in squad: Assault Infantry/Recon

Weapons: M1 Carbine, M3 "Grease Gun", M1911 pistol

Magical Ability: Magic Antennae (Detect the presence of objects and radio frequencies at long ranges)

Familiar: Chocolate Labrador

Background info:

_Audrey Cosens was born in Montreal, Faraway Land. Growing up, she wanted to be a cook or restaurant owner, like what her family does for a living. But after the initial attacks on Europe, she felt obliged to help stop the neuroi. This increased upon her discovery of her magical abilities. Her family resented at first, but then agreed reluctantly. Due to the recent presence of the neuroi in Venezia, Audrey's commitment to help stop the neuroi and her desire to become a witch grew, and thus signed up to become a witch. However, Faraway Land didn't need (or guarantee) witches to be put onto the front lines in Europe. So she tried the next best thing: joining the witch corps in Liberion. First, she tried to join the USAAF, primarily for the night witches due to her ability. She was allowed in under the Faraway's lend act, which allowed the training of witches under their supervision. She had a perfect physical and did well in basic training, but everything changed at the start of striker training. There, she crashed 12 training striker units within the span of a week. The Liberion Army Corps then decide to place her with the ground witch program, training with the tank witches. Upon striker training, the same results happened: fifteen training strikers damaged/destroyed within the span of five days. The Liberion Army Corps put Audrey on hold, still evaluating what to do with her. She was a valiant fighter, but had poor control of any striker units. Audrey was put down by these results, feeling that they were just as comparable as being kicked out of the Witch Corps. _

_But hope for her becoming a witch came. With the start of Project Second Chance, Audrey was given the chance to join in this new program. She accepted graciously. She bean training alongside the 506th PIR of the 101st Liberion Airborne Infantry and with few selected witch training instructors of the program in Fort Benning, Georgia. Although tough, she passed training with flying colors and was put into the 45th JRS. She came attached to the soldiers in her group, and fought in many battles in the European front, especially proving her worth during the surprise Neuroi offensive in Ardennes by being the first to gather intel on the neuroi amidst the confusion, also successfully taking out fifteen neuroi drones. She has grown close with the squad, but often oversleeps (much to the annoyance to Francia). Yet, she works hard and is the best at reconnaissance._

(She is based off of the Canadian WW2 hero, Aubrey Cosens.)

**_Sergeant Francia Christen_:**

Country of Origin: Karlsland

Age: 16

Branch of Military: Karlsland Fallschirmjäger/ (Paratroopers/Commandos)

Rank: Oberscharführer (Staff Sergeant)

Role in squad: Assault Infantry/ Anti-Neuroi Infantry

Weapons: StG-44, Luger Pistol, Panzerfaust (experimental renewable version; test prototype)

Magical Ability: Strength Augmentation (ability to strengthen the power of projectiles, such as bullets or rockets).

Familiar: German Shepard

Background info:

_Francia was born in Hamburg, Karlsland. At a young age, she was fascinated by the tales of witches. At that time, she learnt of her magical abilities. She had a renown respect for the Karlsland military, and sought to become a witch herself. This desire grew when the neuroi attacked Karlsland. Her family was evacuated from Karlsland during the major evacuation notice. During her travel to the evacuation ports, she saw witches fighting the neuroi, which she was fascinated and grateful for their courageousness and bravery. She learned these names of these courageous witches as her family was relocated to Neue Karlsland. The tales of Gertrude Barkhorn, Erica Hartmann, Hanna Marsielle, and others. This prompted her to join the witch corps in Karlsland. She rigorously trained in the Luftwaffe witch corps, adopting a tough demeanor similar to the ace Barkhorn. However, everything went downhill upon her first flight in a striker: she realized she had a fear of heights. _

_It went disastrous. In panic, she almost collided in midair with two other trainees and a training instructor and crashed into the hangars, injuring herself. After that, she refused to go back into the air due to that fear, now solidified from the accident. The Karlsland witch corps then opted her to join the ground witches and use the panzer model striker units. She performed well with the strikers, but the weapons proved to be too heavy for her liking, often decreasing her ability in training battles. Although Francia was an very exceptional soldier, she wasn't witch material. That is until Project Second Chance came in. _

_The Karlsland Wermacht took special liking in the program, feeling that it would increase effectiveness in retaking Karlsland. So Francia was placed into the program. She learned from the best, training with Wermacht Kommandos and partially with the Fallschirmjäger for airborne deployment. That specific part of training, according to her, was the one she hated, due to the necessary paradrop jump needed to pass (which she performed, but dreaded the experience entirely.) She then was assigned to the 45th JRS, where she drastically provided the firepower. She was known for taking out a total of fifteen heavy-variant neuroi turtles and 34 neuroi drones during the battle of Ardennes, stopping a single massive offensive on the western defensive line. She has grown close with the squad, but sometimes is irked at the carelessness of her fellow teammates. Nonetheless, she admires them all for their strength. She is particularly friends with Audrey._

(She is based off of the German WW2 war hero, Fritz Christen.)

**_Sergeant Danielle J. Vlug_:**

Country of Origin: United States of Liberion

Age: 17

Branch of Military: U.S. Army Rangers/Airborne Infantry

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Role in Squad: Assault Infantry/ Heavy Machine Gunner

Weapons: .50 caliber machine gun, M1A1 Thompson submachine gun (drum magazine), M1911 pistol

Magical Ability: Strength Augmentation (similar to Gertude Barkhorn's ability)

Familiar: Border Collie

Background info:

_Danielle was born in Austin, Texas in the United States of Liberion. She worked with her family in the cattle ranch business, which a mess up with an angry bull led to her discovery of her magical ability (and a bull that remembered not to mess with her ever again). She grew curiosity with the Witch corps, and decided to patriotically join upon the call for witches into the European theatre. Although her eyesight was decent, she didn't qualify for the USAAF. Instead, she was redirected to the 8th Army Armored Brigade for witch training. She performed well in training, but she performed badly with the striker units. She destroyed a total of twenty training strikers. Her chances to become a witch was made even worse when she got into a heated argument with one of the trainees, resulting in a very injured trainee and Danielle put into the jail cell on base. She was put on hold for her training, being reevaluated for consideration to be a ground witch._

_ She was almost kicked out of training if not for Project Second Chance. Feeling the need to become a witch, Danielle did not hesitate to join the program. She trained alongside the 75th Ranger Regiment (A experimental group deviated from the Airborne), with some airborne training alongside the 504th PIR of the 82nd Airborne. Afterwards, she was placed with the 45th JRS. She performed well, and took out three neuroi turtles during the battle in Ardennes. She has a carefree attitude, but deep down works hard to keep everybody safe, one thing she vowed to do after her mess-up back in witch training. She has a rivalry with Jane, with their personalities clashing (her carefree attitude versus Jane's "by-the-book" mentality)._

(She is based off of the WW2 U.S. war hero, Dirk J. Vlug.)

**_Sergeant Wilma G.H. Crecy_**

Country of Origin: United States of Liberion

Age: 16

Branch of Military: 7th Army Armored Witch Brigade/Airborne Infantry

Rank: Sergeant

Role in Squad: Medic

Weapons: M1 Garand, M3 "Grease Gun", M1911 pistol

Magical Ability: Healing

Familiar: American Pit Bull Terrier

Background:

_Coming from Boston, Massachusetts, Wilma was the middle child of five, the oldest two were brothers. Quiet, meek, and shy, she didn't stand out that much. That is, until she discovered her magical ability. When one of her little sisters got severely injured from being hit by a car, Wilma was the one who saved her. After that event, she wanted to save people with her ability. That was when the United States of Liberion joined in the efforts to defeat the neuroi. Upon hearing this news, Wilma surprisingly decided to join the military with her second-oldest brother. She wanted to become a ground witch (due to the fact that her brother was going to be part of the Armored division). She passed with flying colors, and was assigned to the 5th Armored Brigade and deployed to Africa. However, her experience in the sands of Africa differed from her ability in training. Although she was a profound medic, she had a hard time fighting the neuroi. She wasn't able to adjust to fighting the neuroi with the heavy 20mm cannon she had (the smallest they offered). Even once she switched to a .30 caliber machine gun, her combat performance didn't improve. In many cases, she struggled to keep up with her fellow ground witches and, multiple times, passed out from heat stroke. _

_Afterwards, she was placed on standby, being reevaluated on whether she should return back to the states for training, be redeployed elsewhere, or take a new profession in the military as a nurse. Wilma refused to become a nurse, wanting to be on the front lines like her brother. Upon the opening of Project Second Chance, she was given the opportunity. The Liberion Army Corps felt it was more tailored for her, since the magical output was lessened due to unnecessary use a striker. She reluctantly agreed. She began her rigorous training with the 503rd PIR of the 82nd Airborne, which she briefly met Danielle. She then was sent to the 45th JRS (and once again surprised to meet Danielle, let alone them being in the same squad togethr). She performed valiantly as a medic during the neuroi offensive in Ardennes along with getting her first neuroi kill, a neuroi drone. She is still timid, but truly enjoys being with the squad. She also befriended Danielle, whom she calls Danny respectively._

(She is based off of the WW2 U.S. hero, Warren G.H. Crecy)

_**Sergeant Jacqueline Churchill**_

Country of Origin: Brittainia

Age: 17

Branch of Military: 1st Infantry Division/Brittainian Airborne Infantry

Rank: Master Sergeant

Role in Squad: Assault Infantry/Saboteur

Weapons: Sterling submachine gun, Webley revolver, explosive satchel charges, Scottish Broadsword

Magic Ability: Strength Augmentation (like Gertude Barkhorn's, except not a strong) and a fire elemental ability (she can call out flames from her hand or infuse weapons to make them incendiary)

Familiar: Bullmastiff

Background:

_Jacqueline Malcolm Thelma Fleming Churchill was born in Surrey, Brittainia, the only child of a noble family. Although she was forced into noble-like situations, she was more adventurous. She played with the common children, loved to go outside, and hated her chores and tasks as a future noble. In fact, she befriended Jane Hill, who lived nearby. The two were best friends at a young age, which Jane taught the many things outside of nobility. Once the war with the neuroi began, Jackie (which Jane coined the nickname and Jacqueline loved) was devoted to joining the military to defend Brittainia. However, her parents greatly opposed this, alongside that she couldn't join (she didn't discover her magical abilities yet). So instead, she took the family heirloom, a Scottish Broadsword, and ran away to hide in London. To her surprise, Jane followed her, deciding that she didn't want to be separated from her one true friend. So Jackie allowed Jane to accompany her. Jackie then decided that the only way to join the military was this: to disguise herself as a boy. Jane, although reluctant, join her. The two cropped their hair short and enlisted in the nearest recruitment office wearing the most masculine clothes they could buy. _

_From there, they were put into training, keeping up the charade of being guys. They two passed easily through basic training. They were then deployed into Africa with the 1st Infantry Division. Jackie was even able to bring her Broadsword along through sheer stubbornness and persuasion. The two fought alongside the men, still keeping their facade. That is, until one even changed everything. Upon a surprise attack on the 1st Division, Jackie was saved from a neuroi beam. Her savior was none other than her friend Jane, who blocked the beam with her shield (which she discovered upon attempt). However, Jane passed out from shock, while more neuroi were upon their position. In an act of fury, Jackie singlehandedly took out twenty five neuroi turtles. Ten were taken out with her Sterling submachine gun, while the rest were dispatched with her sword. That moment led to her discovery of being a witch, in which she used her shield, strength, and fire ability for the first time. The soldiers of the 1st Division were surprised by the outcome of two witches in their ranks, let alone them saving the entire division from being overrun. _

_There, Brittainian command decided that the two were perfect candidates for Project Second Chance, seeing how well the two performed and how they were already accustomed to infantry training. Upon the offer, Jackie agreed, feeling that the new experience would be fun and exciting. She was surprised that Jane also joined in, as Jane wanted to be alongside Jackie (Jackie replied that it was cute, laughing a little). From there, the two were put into the 6th Brittainian Airborne for training, then deployed to the 45th JRS. She performed exceptionally well during the the attack in Ardennes, taking out five more neuroi with her claymore and twelve more with her Sterling. She is hardheaded, reckless, and cocky, but has shown courage, sympathy, and kindness towards the group._

(She is based off of the famed WW2 British hero, Jack "Mad Jack" Churchill.)

**_Sergeant Jane Hill_**

Country of Origin: Brittainia

Age: 16

Branch of Military: 1st Infantry Division/ Brittainian Airborne Infantry

Rank: Sergeant

Role in Squad: Assault Infantry/Recon

Weapons: Lee Enfield Mk 1, Sten submachine gun, M1911 pistol

Magical Ability: Bullet Stabilization (Like Lynnette Bishop's ability), increased Shield strength

Familiar: Beagle

Background:

_Jane was born in Surrey, Brittainia. Growing up an only child, she was a avid book reader and "by-the-book" follower. She became friends with Jackie, teaching her the many things that the common folk (as Jackie named them) did and learned. She ran away with Jackie (to her surprise) to join the military, under the charade as guys. The two passed training without a problem (still under the disguise as men) and fought with the 1st Infantry Division as men. That is where Jane discovered her magical ability. Upon seeing her friend Jackie almost getting hit by a neuroi beam, she tried to push her out of the way, willing to sacrifice herself instead. What happened was that she propped out her shield, both saving her and Jackie from the beam. Due to the fatigue of battle and the sudden use of a magical shield, she passed out. She awoke in a field hospital with Jackie by her bedside. She came to know about Jackie being a witch too from her friend's tales and the tales of the 1st Infantry. _

_There, the two got an offer: to become a part of Project Second Chance, promising them to become part of the special forces. Once hearing Jackie's decision to join, she too followed. Jackie at first didn't want Jane to follow in her footsteps, knowing the danger could risk either of them dying. But the stubbornness of Jane finally made Jackie to give in. The two received training with the 6th Brittainian Airborne Infantry and were transferred into the 45th JRS. She showed her skills during the neuroi offensive in Ardennes, taking out fifteen neuroi drones. She still is a stickler for the rules, but sometimes bends them at times. She is hardworking as sees through with the safety of everyone in the squad. She has a rivalry with Danny, often the two noting on each other's differences (Danny being laid-back while Jane being a rules hound). She also is best friends with Jackie, sometimes to the point of having close feelings for her._

(She is based off of the WW2 British hero, James Hill.)

**Done with introductions. Sorry for them taking so long, but I wanted them to be up in order to show what I am doing for a story: Infantry witches. More so, special operations with infantry witches and regular infantry working alongside. I have barely seen this being done, so I decided to do it myself. So we have the witch cast introduced along with the mission at hand. I'll put a bio for the two infantry airborne in the next chapter.**

**So, what do you guys think of this? Leave a review, and I'll gladly read it.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this new story of mine. Stay tuned for more!**


	2. Chapter 2: Time to Jump

**Hello guys! Here to bring you another chapter for Operation Geronimo! Now, before I get to the chapter, let's get to some reviews:**

**_Danger Close_: Thanks. Glad you like this new concept!**

**_Zoids Fanatic_: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this story!**

**_Motown Scrapper_: Yeah, the back stories I worked really hard on. I wanted people to get a sense of what was happening by providing info without having to explain everything in the actual story. That, and they were fun to write. I got the inspiration to write them after looking at the bios for many of the witches.**

**_Bucue_: I am very glad for your review. It has really helped me a lot. I mean it. I do try to keep the spirit of the show intact (that's what makes it Strike Witches, of course!), even if the main cast of the 501st isn't there. I do have to work on the basic stuff like grammar and phrasing, but I hope to get a good enough layout for all to enjoy. Also, I have now given an official name for the infantry witches, calling them Specialized Operation Infantry Witches (given that they do not use strikers). Anyways, I greatly appreciate your review!**

**_Gamerman22_: Glad you are liking it. Don't worry, I won't leave Titans and Angels! I plan on trying to work on both.**

**_Rin Khoo_: Hehe, glad you are liking it. I plan on developing this story. So, hope you enjoy!**

**_Ghosts of Razgriz_: Jackie is Jackie. I based her personality somewhat on how her actual person, "Mad Jack" Churchill, was. Look him up and read his accounts during WWII. He's officially the most badass soldier there is.**

**Now with reviews done, Let's get to the chapter! I appreciate the reviews a lot, so don't be shy to say something to help this story out!**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_Chapter 2: Time to Jump_

* * *

Audrey laid in her bed, awake. She couldn't sleep. She figured it was just pre-mission jitters. After the briefing, everyone got prepared. Some practice at the firing range. Inventory check. Some light lunch and supper. Danny and Wilma even took a soak in the baths. Then everyone was told to get some shut-eye at 1800. Captain Spiers's orders. Rest was important. After all, they didn't know how long it would take to find this witch, let alone reach back to allied lines. But she was only able to sleep for an hour. The other two hours were spent idly laying in bed, resting under the warm wool blanket. Thinking about the mission.

She tossed to the side of her bed. All she did was blankly stare at her locker. The contents were displayed to see. Her Faraway Land army uniform, both shirt and pants, were neatly folded. Liberion-issue socks laid next to her winter gloves, ready to be worn. Her Liberion-issue winter helmet laid next to her combat boots, while her issued winter trench coat hung inside the locker. The pouch-rig she had was sitting there, prepared with ammunition, small bandages, a compass, and other necessities. Captain Spiers made sure that everyone double-checked their equipment.

She looked at the wind-up clock in her room. Thirty minutes till the start of the mission. She sighed as she decided to get up. Heading over to her equipment locker, she began to put on her uniform and gear. She was about finished, lacing up her boots, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing Fran. She wore the fallschirmjäger winter uniform; a mix of white and grey made up her camouflage. She wore the Wermacht winter helmet, covering her brown hair that was tied in a ponytail. A grey wool scarf was wrapped around her neck. She had her pouch-rig already on as she awaited for the Faraway Land witch.

"Got everything?" Fran asked.

"Yup." Audrey replied. "Just about have everything on." She placed her helmet on top of her head, covering her short hazel hair.

"Um, do you have a scarf, Audrey?" Fran asked.

"No. Why?"

"It's snowing pretty heavily outside. Here." Fran reached through one of her pouches. She pulled out an identical wool scarf and then proceeded to wrap it around Audrey's neck.

"Alright... is it too tight?" Fran asked. Audrey just shook her head.

"No, it's just right. Thanks, Fran." Audrey smiled.

"Hey, soldiers must look out for each other." Fran replied happily. The two proceeded to exit out of the room. They walked down the hallway to see the two Liberion witches awaiting at the door. The two were wearing the Liberion Airborne uniforms and overcoats, with dark olive scarves wrapped around their necks. Both their helmets had traditional winter camouflage netting, while Danny had a pair of snow goggles on her face.

"Hello you two." Wilma greeted. The two witches waved back as they approached the Liberion duo at the exit door.

"So, you two ready?" Danny asked.

"Yup."

"Ready."

The four exited the barracks. Outside, the Gallian night was covered in snow as a fierce winter storm wailed outside. Snow was hitting their faces as they trudged on, heading towards the illuminated lights of the hangars. All they heard was the howling wind and the soft crunch of snow beneath their feet, leaving them to their thoughts.

'_So... it's now or never..._' Audrey thought.

The two finally entered the first hangar. Within, the four other members of the 45th were present, standing behind the C-47 destined to fly them to their destination. The C-47's propellers were already running, making sure that the engines wouldn't freeze. Both Jane and Jackie were wearing the Brittainian Airborne uniforms and overcoats, already packed with their parachute and weapons, with Jackie having her sword sheathed on her back. Next to them were the two Liberion Airborne, geared up with their thompsons. Lieutenant Hathcock had his Boys Anti-Neuroi rifle on his back as well as a black balaclava on his face. Captain Spiers had a white balaclava and winter goggles on as he studied attentively to a map on his clipboard.

"Took you long enough, pups." Hathcock smirked. The other witches just rolled their eyes as they grabbed their gear and weapons. Audrey got her M1 carbine and M3, tied down to her by the leather straps. She checked her parachute, gear, and rig with the others.

"Ladies, you good to go?" Spiers asked.

"Yes sir!"

"Alright." Speirs got the attention of the pilot.

"Are we ready for takeoff?" Speirs yelled over the engine's loud roar. The pilot gave a thumbs up from the window, motioning them to get in from the back.

"Alright everyone, let's get goin'." Spiers said. Everyone began to board the plane, taking their seats.

"Fasten up everyone. The pilots have said that the trip's going to be bumpy with the weather. I don't plan on having someone fall off when they are not supposed to yet." Spiers joked. Everyone smiled a bit, a little lightened up despite the sincerity of the mission. Audrey firmly planted herself next to Fran and Jackie. She looked over to Fran, who's hands were shaking a bit.

"Fran, you okay?" Audrey looked at the Karlsland witch. Fran turned to her.

"Huh? Oh... y-yeah..." She stuttered.

"Pre-mission jitters?" Audrey asked.

"Y-Yeah... something like that." Fran replied nervously. The other witches were catching on to Fran's nervousness. It was unlike her.

"Francia, you sure you're good?" Danny asked.

"Do you not feel well?" Wilma questioned.

"Fran, if there's anything troubling ya, make sure to say something." Jane said. The pilot began his call out to the tower as the plane began to move forward to exit the hangar. Fran's eyes began to widen with fright.

"Sergeant Christen, you alright?" Lieutenant Hathcock asked. Fran continued to tremble a bit.

"Yes, Sergeant Christen. What's bothering you?" Captain Spiers asked. The Karlsland witch sat there silently for a few minutes before she mustered the courage to speak.

"I-I... have a fear of heights..." Fran quietly spoke. Everyone was surprised.

"What?!" Danny and Jane yelled out.

"Fran, why didn't you tell us?" Audrey asked with concern. Fran just twiddled her fingers together.

"W-Well, I didn't want to worry you guys about something so embarrassing and stupid..." The plane was making it's way towards the start of the runway.

"Nonsense! You should have told us so you we could have worked something out." Audrey said.

"B-But I didn't want to get cut from the mission! I want to be a part of it... e-even if it means I have to jump..." Fran sighed nervously. At the cockpit, the pilot was making final calls to the tower.

"_Tower, Geronimo is ready for takeoff. We given the green light?_"

"_Affirmative, Geronimo. You have the green light. Tell those ladies and gents I wish 'em luck._"

The plane then began it's run forward. The witches and airborne lurched forward as the C-47 was speeding down the runway. Fran gulped nervously while the plane was increasing speed. The witches were doing their very best to comfort the Karlsland witch.

"Well, it's too late now." Captain Spiers said. The world outside was speeding up, with the runway getting progressively shorter.

"Sergeant Christen, just relax. You'll get through this." He reassured the nervous witch. Fran nodded.

"T-Thanks Captain..."

The plane then finally left the ground. Inside, the witches felt the vertigo as the plane left earth. They could see the base getting smaller and smaller as the plane was reaching the cloud layer.

"_Tower, this is Geronimo. We have successful takeoff. Will be back in four hours._"

"_Affirmative, Geronimo. Tower is out._"

Everyone witnessed the transition outside. The snowy storm outside was soon being replaced with the clouds as the plane gained altitude. Within a matter of minutes, the plane leveled out above the cloud layer. The co-pilot peeked out into the cabin from the cockpit, looking at the recon squad.

"Alright, everyone. We are expected to arrive to the drop zone in two hours." The co-pilot said. Everyone nodded their heads.

"Well then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. Thanks for flying with Skytrain Airlines." He laughed before returning to the cockpit.

Everyone got comfortable in their seats. Some preoccupied themselves with checking gear. Lieutenant Hathcock began to eat a chocolate bar, which he shared with Danny and Wilma. Jackie just began to fall asleep, quietly snoring (much to the humor of everyone on board). All the while, Audrey kept comforting Fran.

"Hey Fran, don't worry. We're all here, okay?"

"Y-Yeah... thanks, Audrey. For the support."

"Remember what you said? Soldiers look out for each other." Audrey replied. Fran couldn't help but smile. Audrey yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Audrey, why don't you get some sleep." Fran suggested.

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm good. I just-" Audrey looked as Fran shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Get some sleep. I'll be okay."

Audrey nodded. Her eyelids began to droop. Within seconds, the world began to fade into darkness as she entered slumber.

* * *

"Audrey."

"Mmmm..."

"Oi, Audrey."

"Mmmm... five... more minutes..."

"Lassie, wakey wakey!"

Audrey was shaken awake from her sleep. She jolted upright and rubbed her eyes. Audrey turned to see Jackie staring at her with a smirk.

"Morning, sleeping beauty. Did you sleep well?" Jackie teased. Audrey blushed from embarrassment, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. She turned to see everyone else. The rest of the squad was already checking their gear and weapons.

"Oh, how long was I out?" Audrey asked. It was Captain Spiers's turn to answer.

"For most of the trip, Sergeant. The pilots' said we are ten minutes from the drop zone. Get ready with everything. We're gonna jump soon." Audrey nodded as she checked over her gear. Her pouches were firmly secured, along with her parachute, weapons, and helmet.

Suddenly, the cabin was illuminated red. Everyone took notice, then stood up.

"Hook up!" Spiers announced over the drone of the engine. Everyone got the cables to their parachutes and hooked them to the wire on the cabin ceiling.

"Equipment check! Yourself and the person in front of you!" Everyone checked their equipment. Audrey did one last glance at herself before checking the parachute of the person in front of her; Fran's.

"Sound off for equipment check!"

"Hill, okay!"

"Churchill, okay!"

"Cosens, okay!"

"C-Christen, okay!"

"Crecy, okay!"

"Vlug, okay!"

"Hathcock, okay!"

"Spiers is okay! Ready for jump!"

The plane began its descend below the cloud layer. The rumble of the plane was the only thing audible as the clouds surrounded the cabin. Suddenly, the flash of snow was present as the winter storm raged outside in the sky. The wind's howl almost deafened the engine's roar while colder gusts of air flew into the open cabin.

"Remember," Spiers said, making himself audible from the deafening noise outside. "We'll jump in pairs. Once boots are on the ground, we regroup. Audrey, I trust you to link everyone up since you have your ability. If you see movement, remember to whistle. Whistle twice back to respond. And remember to watch out for neuroi!"

Immediately, the cabin was illuminated green. The pilot spoke through the cabin radio.

"_Recon, you've got the green light!_"

"Let's go!" Spiers said. Time to jump.

First up were Captain Spiers and Lieutenant Hathcock. The two veteran airborne easily hopped out, their chutes deploying as the howling winds took them away. Next were Danny and Wilma, who jumped right after with ease. However, Fran froze at the door.

"Fran?" Audrey spoke.

"I... I CAN'T DO IT!" Fran yelled back, her knees buckling. Her eyes were wide with fear. She momentarily backed off, but collided into Audrey behind her. Audrey caught hold of her.

"Fran, I'll be right behind you." Audrey tried to reassure the Karlsland witch, but she didn't inch closer to the door.

"N-No... I-I... c-can't.."

"Ladies!" The pilot called out from the cabin radio. "You've got fifteen seconds to jump out or you'll miss the drop zone!"

"Oh, for crying out loud! Bloody move!" Jackie yelled in annoyance. She then forcefully pushed Audrey and Fran out of the plane, which Jackie and Jane followed with a hop out.

Both Audrey and Fran screamed as they felt themselves momentarily free fall. Fran then suddenly felt a sharp tug. Her chute deployed as she felt the immediate sensation of floating. She instantly grabbed onto her parachute's straps and held on to dear life (despite the fact that she was safely harnessed in). She looked around. In the distance, she saw Audrey and the two Brittainian witches floating down in the distance. Then, she did the worst thing she could do to herself. She looked down.

Below, the Karlsland forest was blanketed with white, while the storm cast more snow in sheets on this night. It was serene, perhaps even lovely. However, any of those thoughts didn't cross Fran's mind. Instead, she felt anxiety rush into her as her gut twisted.

"Audrey! Get me outta here!" Fran screamed.

In the distance, Audrey could see the Karlsland witch frantically fumble and flail in her harness. She could only sweatdrop at Fran's anxiety, hoping that it would all pass soon quickly for her as they descended into the forest below.

* * *

Danny had landed into a grove of spruce trees. She was lucky her chute didn't get tangled in the branches as she roughly went through the pines. The snow fell off in white clumps as they made 'thump' sounds onto the snowy ground. Danny felt the ground below her as she buckled her knees to receive the impact. She sat there momentarily as she unfastened her harness. Within a minute, her harness fell off her and she quickly did inventory.

Her large .50 caliber box clips were there, along with all her weapons. She felt her massive .50 cal machine gun on her back. She sighed with relief as everything was accounted for.

'_Okay... think... I need to regroup... I saw Wilma land nearby, I'm sure of it..._' Danny thought. The cold was nipping at her nose, in which she pulled her scarf over her face like a balaclava while her snow goggles remained on. Frost was beginning to form on her helmet while her goggles were fogging up a bit as she trudged through the snow.

Walking through the sheets of white, she held her .50 cal in her hands. The howling wind was constantly present while the snow stuck to her overcoat. She eyed the surrounding environment. Trees shook from the gusts of air and snow, while bushes were layered with snow. She pushed one branch out of the way carefully, silently trudging on. She came across a little open grove, which only the snow-covered grass made their home. Carefully stepping out into the grove, she eyed her surroundings. It took her a while, but she reached the edge, where the trees came back into view. Only to see Wilma.

"Wilma!" Danny waved. She saw Wilma stare back. But instead of a wave, she immediately went prone, making gestures for Danny to do the same. Danny was confused by this, until she heard what was behind her.

She immediately turned around to see the outline of a neuroi turtle. A medium-class, no doubt. Yet, it still would tower any human being easily. Danny went immediately prone, lying in the snow as she desperately covered herself. To her luck, the snow storm aided in her hiding, as the neuroi remained oblivious to two witches in its presence. However, it kept walking. Danny looked up to see the neuroi turtle standing above her.

Danny slowly grabbed her machine gun and aimed it at the belly of the neuroi. She could clearly see its red-and-black hexagonal plates. The neuroi gave a low bellow as it looked around. Wilma was looking in fear as her friend remained underneath the neuroi turtle. If she fired, it could risk Danny's life, let alone possibly jeopardize the entire mission. So she laid there, hoping the neuroi would lose interest and move. Danny was tempted to press the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets. But her finger just sat on the trigger as she patiently waited for the neuroi to move on. However, it didn't.

'_C'mon... just go already..._' Danny hissed in her mind. The neuroi gave another low growl as it looked around once more.

Out of the corner of her eye, Danny saw a flash and the muffled boom of a shot. Instantly, the neuroi above her shattered in a bright light. The white confetti left was blown away with the wind. Afterwards, Danny heard a whistle. She whistled twice back as she stood up. Danny brushed the snow off her as Wilma ran to her.

"Danny! Are you okay?" Wilma asked nervously. Danny just patted her head.

"I'm fine. Do you know who fired that shot?"

"No..."

The two saw two more figures come out from the brush. They saw the two airborne making their way towards them. Lieutenant Hathcock was holding his Boys Anti-Neuroi rifle as the Captain followed behind.

"Lieutenant, you saved my skin. Although, I was itching to take that neuroi out myself." Danny replied with a smirk. Hathcock just shrugged, holstering his rifle.

"Glad to see you two safe. Did you see any of the others?" Spiers asked. The two shook their heads.

"No, sir. I only saw Danny here. I couldn't see the others when we were up in the air." Wilma replied. Spiers just sighed.

"Well, time to find the others..."

Above them, they heard the drone of the C-47. They looked up to see in fly past, dropping a supply crate through the blizzard. The crate floated down as dim lights marked its presence. It landed in a group of trees to the west of them. An audible crash and crunch was heard.

"Well, looks like we got some supplies." Danny remarked.

"Okay everyone, let's head out. We're going to resupply." Spiers said. Everyone nodded, and the four trudged through the snow towards the crate.

* * *

Audrey unfastened her harness as she got up. She looked around. Only the bending branches of trees and the falling snow was present. She grabbed her carbine and checked her gear. Everything was in place. She glanced around once more. Silence. She then called her familiar. Her labrador ears flopping down from her helmet while her tail popped out from her pants as she had her radio antennae out. She listened carefully as she glanced around. Immediately, she detected something in the brush to her right. She aimed her carbine at the small grouping of bushes near her as she herd them rustling. She then gave a shrill whistle in that direction.

"Oi, Audrey. It's just us." Jackie said. Both Jackie and Jane pushed their way out of the bushes to meet up with the Faraway Lander.

"Glad to see you two." Audrey sighed in relief.

"Same here." Jane replied, gripping her Lee Enfield. "Do you know the location of the others?"

"No, I was just about to triangulate them now."

"Well then, lass," Jackie cheered. "Let's go and find them."

Audrey nodded, then focused once more. Her antennae was picking up the presence of any movement within the radius of mile for now. She faintly sensed the presence of someone, only a couple yards off to the east.

"I... I think I got someone!" Audrey exclaimed. The two Brittainians nodded, and the two followed Audrey. The three briskly ran, cautiously observing their surroundings. The howling wind and thick snowfall made it hard to see anything. They continued to run, passing a few trees.

"Alright... huh?" Audrey came to a stop in front of a tall pine. She looked around in confusion.

"What's the matter, Audrey?" Jane asked.

"Well... I thought someone was here." She replied. She continued to look around, wondering where the mystery person was.

"You sure there was someone here?" Jackie asked. Audrey gave a solid nod.

"Positive... but-"

"G-Guys! Help!" The three heard the voice's plea. The voice of a Karlsland witch.

"Fran? Where are you?" Audrey called out. Suddenly, a large clump of snow landed right in front of Jane, startling the group. They immediately looked up.

Fran was suspended up high, at least twenty feet off the ground. Her parachute was tangled in the branches of the large pine, where she lightly swung precariously back and forth. Her face was with fright as she struggled in her harness.

"G-Get me outta here!" She cried out as she flailed in her harness.

"Francia, stay still!" Jane yelled up.

"Don't move too much, Fran! We'll be right there!" Audrey yelled.

"J-Just hurry up!" Fran yelled back. Her voice was hinted with fear. On the ground, the three were wondering what to do.

"Alright, I'll climb up and cut the straps." Audrey said. "You two, be ready to catch her and-"

"Nah, I got a better idea." Jackie suggested. She stepped forward in front of the two, directly below Fran. To the shock of the two witches, Jackie unsheathed her sword. She used her thumb to accurately measure the distance and angle to Fran.

"J-Jackie, you can't be serious?!" Jane said.

"Jane, don't worry. I got this." Jackie replied cooly. She then whistled to Fran, catching her attention.

"Oi! Fran! You better hold still!" She yelled. Fran looked at her with confusion, but then realized what she had in her right hand. She then waved her arms up in fear.

"N-NO, DON'T-!"

Jackie flung her sword up into the air. Fran instantly screamed as the sword flew passed her, nearly missing her face. It swiftly and precisely cut through the leather straps that bound Fran to her mangled parachute. And with no more leather straps suspending her, it only meant one thing: gravity.

"AHHHHH!" Fran screamed. She flailed her arms as she came closer to the ground. With graceful ease, Jackie caught the Karlsland witch, gear and all, without a sweat. Fran just stared dumbfounded at Jackie as she laid in her arms. A second later, her sword stabbed into the ground a foot away, sinking into the snow.

"Nice of you to drop by." Jackie smirked. Jane and Audrey just sweatdropped at Jackie's bad joke while Fran immediately began to berate the Brittainian witch.

"Y-YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE CLEAVED MY HEAD OFF!" Fran yelled. Jackie politely put down Fran onto the ground, which she stood up.

"Hey, I got ya down, didn't I? I don't know why you got your panties in a bunch." Jackie replied back. It irked Fran even more.

"You could have gotten me down in a less forceful way!"

"Oi, I ain't gonna spend the entire day trying to get you unstuck! Besides, maybe if you jumped out earlier like you're supposed to, you wouldn't have landed into a group of trees and gotten stuck in the first place."

"Don't bring that up! And that goes to my second point: what were you thinking of pushing me out?!" Jackie just grabbed her sword and sheathed it before answering Fran.

"You said you really wanted to be part of this mission. So I just took the necessary steps to get you here." She smiled. Although Fran wanted to yell at her more, she did prove a point. If it wasn't for her (brash) action, she would've been flying back to base alone, worrying about the safety of her friends when they needed her. The other two witches approached Fran and Jackie.

"Fran, I'm glad you're alright." Audrey said. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Just shaken up a bit. Everything is with me too." Fran patted her equipment rig and weapon.

"Francia, I'm sorry for Jackie's actions." Jane apologized. She turned to the Brittainian witch, who was checking her sword.

"Jackie, apologize to Fran."

"Ehh?! What?! I got her down without a-"

"Jacqueline..." Jane growled. Jackie sweatdropped nervously, knowing quite well about Jane's temper sometimes.

"Erm... sorry for that, Fran..." Jackie muttered sheepishly.

"Fair enough..." Fran sighed. "But never do anything like that again!"

"I ain't gonna promise that, lass." Jackie nonchalantly replied. The three witches sweatdropped.

"Well... I guess none of you found the others?" Fran asked. She got nods all around.

"Yup. I was only able to find you." Audrey replied. Fran was silently thankful for that. What if a neuroi found her stuck there? Or worse, she remained stuck there without anyone to get her down? (yes, she thought that was worse than encountering a neuroi.)

Suddenly, the roar of the C-47 came. The four looked up to see the plane drop off a supply crate, slowly descending to the east of them with a faint glow. It was fairly close, with the sound of branches snapping being audible through the howling wind.

"Supplies!" Audrey said.

"Whew, we definitely need those." Jane added. Although everyone packed themselves ammo, they only packed light. After all, the more weight you had on you, the faster you're going to fall down to earth. That, and other useful tools were likely to be in that crate.

"Alright, if we get to that crate, we're likely to meet up with the others." Fran noted. Everyone nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

Everyone got their gear and trudged through the snowstorm.

* * *

"Cap, how far to the crate?" Danny asked.

"We should be almost there..." Speirs replied.

The four of them had been walking for around fifteen minutes. In the forest, the snow kept on falling in thick clumps as frost was forming on their clothes. It felt like a blizzard now than what was a snow storm earlier. Visibility was worsening. Yet, they continued to march on.

"There's no neuroi though. That's a relief." Wilma remarked.

"Amen to that." Hathcock said. He wiped the frost of his goggles as he marched behind Captain Spiers.

The four finally made their way into a clearing. From there, they could see what looked like a farm house and a barn. The farm house looked damages, missing the left side of it's wall, exposing the inside of the house to the elements. It's wooden beams seemed cracked and unstable. However, the barn looked intact. Solid, even. It was as if the elements couldn't take over this little part of humanity deep in neuroi territory.

In a group of trees lay the supply crate. Dull lights illuminated the crate as the parachute was tangled in the branches. It welcomed the presence of the four, giving them a moment of relief and strength.

"Hold up. I got movement." Hathcock noted. Everyone brought up their weapons.

"Same... I think I heard it over there." Wilma added. She pointed to to the forest behind the crate. Spiers could see past the heavy snow, noting slight movement amongst the brush. He then gave a whistle. A few second later, two whistles were barely heard. Everyone drew a sigh of relief.

From the forest came the four other witches. Audrey had her familiar features out, while her glowing antennae was on her head. Upon seeing the four, Audrey put down her features as she ran up to the group, with Fran, Jane, and Jackie following behind her.

"Captain. Glad to see you here." Audrey said cheerfully.

"Same with you, Sergeant Cosens. Do we have everyone here?" Everyone called themselves out, nodding their heads.

"Alright then..." Speirs said. The wind picked up, blowing more snow into the faces of the recon squad. Everyone had a slight shiver, the cold now biting into them. Spiers noted the intact barn.

"The storm's picking up..." Jane said as she shielded her eyes.

"Looks like Jack Frost decided to come for spring." Danny added.

"Okay, everyone. Let's bring the the supply crate inside that barn. Best we get out of this cold." Speirs said.

'Yes sir!"

Lieutenant Hathcock and Jackie made their way to the crate. Hathcock drew out his combat knife while Jackie pulled out her broadsword. The two cut the straps attaching the supply crate to its parachute. The others formed a defensive perimeter around the barn. Danny, Jackie, and Hathcock dragged the supply crate inside the barn. One by one, the group went inside the barn. Captain Spiers then closed the barn door shut.

"Alright. Let's open this crate up." Hathcock said. Him and Danny pulled off the lid. Jackie did the honors of lighting up the barn, as her bullmastiff ears popped through her helmet. With a flick of her fingers, a tiny flame emerged. Everyone peered into the crate to get a look inside.

Inside they had ammunition for everyone. Furthermore, there were a five satchel charges, a panzerfaust (with a total of ten rockets included), rations, blankets, and water.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Danny cheered. She grabbed a couple of ammo boxes and placed them into her bag. Everyone was grabbing their needed ammo, filling empty clips and grabbing food and water. Blankets were distributed throughout the squad. Fran got her panzerfaust, putting the rockets into her backpack.

Outside, the blizzard continued. Everyone could hear the howling wind fiercely hit the barn and feel the wind chill enter through the cracks. Audrey gave a shiver as the cold hit her.

"I could feel the cold through this trenchcoat..." Audrey said.

"Yeah... let's find some wood and get a fire starting. Doubt anything could see through that thick storm." Hathcock suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement. They searched the barn for any timber. All they found were a couple of pieces of wood and a log.

"Alright, here goes." Jackie said. She did another flick, igniting her fingertips. With a touch, she set the pile of wood on fire. The warm glow lit up the barn with light. Everyone felt it's comforting heat.

"Finally..." Danny sighed. She huddled around the fire and took off her gloves. She let a light sigh as she felt her hands warm up from the fire. Wilma, Fran, and Audrey joined in too, having comfort near the flames.

"Thank you, Sergeant Churchill. Now I can finally see this damn map." Spiers laughed. He got a better glimpse at the map from the light. Glancing, he studied the map. He noticed the red-marked circle, surrounding the possible area where the downed witch crashed. He studied the map for a few minutes. Finally, he found the barn where they were holding up.

"Okay, we apparently are one kilometer from the search radius." Spiers said.

"For now, I suggest that we hole up in this barn for the time being. Pointless to wade out in that storm." He put away his clipboard.

"Alright, let's get some shut-eye for the trek tomorrow. Anyone wanna volunteer for the first watch?"

"Audrey and I would." Fran said. Audrey shook her head in agreement.

"Alright. Everyone, sleep light." Speirs said.

The squad began to find comfortable places amongst the run-down barn. Jackie let Jane lay her head on her lap as the duo dozed off in the corner. Wilma, Danny, and Hathcock found a small pile of hay to lie in. Meanwhile, Audrey and Fran stoked the fire with their rifles nearby. The embers wafted in the barn, with warmth hugging onto them.

"Sergeants Cosens and Christen. Good night to both of you." Spiers said.

"Night, Captian." The two replied back. Spiers laid his blanket on the ground before laying on it.

The two sergeants sighed as they sat around the fire. They could hear the storm outside. Snow kept falling fast. Audrey just stood up for a stretch, glancing outside occasionally through the door's crack.

"Hey, Audrey." Audrey turned to Fran, who kept stoking the fire.

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

"I have a question for you. Just to pass the time."

"Alright," Audrey sat down next to the Karlsland witch. "What do you want to ask?"

"How do you think that witch is doing right now? The one that we're trying to find."

"Dunno. I hope she is okay. I can only hope, though." The two sat silently for a while as the fire crackled.

"Audrey?"

"Yes, Fran?"

"What's it back like at your home?" Audrey was caught off by the sudden question.

"Back home? Why do you want to know?"

"Just... curious." Audrey thought for a minute before answering.

"I'm guessing that my family is still tending the family restaurant back home. My mom also said that my little brother has begun high school now, so I can't wait to see him once the war is over."

"Do you think the war will be over soon?" Fran asked.

"I hope so." Audrey said.

"It's been long since I had a place called home." Audrey looked in confusion at the Karlsland witch.

"What do you mean? There's Neue Karlsland, right?"

"Sure, but I meant here. Karlsland."

"Oh... right... sorry..." Audrey said.

"No, it's fine." Fran replied with a sigh. Audrey sensed how melancholy Fran was as she sat next to her.

"It's been years since I've left Karlsland. This has been the first time in a while to be back."

"You miss Karlsland, huh?" Fran nodded to that statement.

"Yes. All Karlslanders wish to go back home. That's why we fight fiercely. To take back what once was ours."

"Fran, you're pretty brave. Fighting to get back home." Audrey replied cheerily. Fran shook her head to that response.

"No... the brave ones are like the legends. Like Captain Barkhorn or Lieutenant Hartmann. Colonel Wilcke or Captain Marsielle. They, and others, were the ones who protected everyone as we evacuated to Neue Karlsland. I can never be like them."

"That's not true!" Fran looked up in surprise as she looked up to Audrey.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it's not true! I saw you fight before. You fight bravely. During the battle in Ardennes, you took out so many neuroi!"

"B-But... I can't even jump out of an airplane... you saw how scared I was. If Jackie didn't push me out, I would still be on that plane heading to the base."

"So? You've done your share a brave things too. Being afraid of heights doesn't mean you are not brave." Audrey comforted the Karlsland witch. She then got an idea in her head.

"Here, wanna know what I'm afraid of?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Guess." Fran though for a moment.

"Um... spiders?"

"Nope."

"Then... is it snakes? Or public speaking?" Audrey shook her head.

"No. It's squirrels." Fran looked at Audrey for a brief moment. Then she turned around, trying to hold in her laughter.

"I... I'm sorry... I-I just..." Fran tried to catch herself, holding her mirth in.

"Yeah... it's pretty dumb..." Audrey laughed.

"But... squirrels?"

"It's a long story. Basically, when I was five, my little brother and I were playing out in the backyard of our house. A squirrel came up to me. I remembered that I tried to pet it, but it hissed at me. I guess it seemed that I was impeding on its territory or something like that, because the next thing I know it was chasing me around the backyard. I screamed and ran inside while carrying my brother. I remember crying to my mom about the squirrel, while my brother was crying because I was crying. When I look back at it, it's embarrassing." Both Fran and Audrey let out a giggle.

"So, are you just as afraid of them as before."

"Not as bad as before, but they do creep me out."

The two sat there, staring into the fire. The fire was continuing strong as the flames crackled. They still heard the howl of the winter storm, but it seemed far away as they sat next to the fire. Audrey let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes.

"Fran, I'll help you get back your home."

"Huh?" Fran looked at the Faraway Lander.

"I'm going to help you get back Karlsland. So that after the war, I can visit you. Promise me to show me around?" Audrey asked. Fran just smiled at her friend.

'I promise. Thanks, Audrey."

Audrey suddenly felt something poking her right shoulder. The two turned around to see Danny and Wilma awake.

"Oh, is our shift already over?" Audrey asked.

"Yes. It's been around two hours, I'm guessing." Wilma said. The two were surprised. Were they talking for that long?

"We're going to relieve you. You two should get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow." Danny said. Audrey and Fran nodded, moving over to lay their blankets as the two Liberion witches huddled near the fire. Audrey nestled into her blanket next to Fran.

"G'night, you two." Danny said.

"Good night."

Audrey smiled underneath the wool blanket. Once again, she felt the world drift slowly into darkness. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

* * *

**End of chapter 2! Nice! Fran being afraid of heights, Audrey being afraid of squirrels, and the two being afraid of Jackie's antics. Gotta say, Jackie's one type of gal...**

**Anyways, time fore the bios of the two airborne.**

**_Lieutenant Jonathan Hathcock:_**

Country of Origin: United States of Liberion

Age: 20

Branch of Military: Liberion Airborne Infantry

Rank: 2nd Lieutenant

Role in Squad: Designated Marksman

Weapons: Boys Anti-Neuroi Rifle (Modified, Airborne issue of the Boys Anti-Armor Rifle), Thompson submachine gun, M1911 pistol.

Magical Abilities: None

Familiar: None

Background info:

_Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Jonathan Hathcock was raised in a a poor, rural family. At an early age, he hunted for necessity to feed his family, gaining his expertise in marksmanship. He had a renown respect for the military due to his father's service in the First Neuroi War. As Liberion was progressively getting involved in the new Second Neuroi War, Hathcock felt obliged to join in the ranks. He applied for the army airborne infantry, feeling that it provided a better challenge for himself. He passed easily through basic, along with extra courses for snipers, practicing with both regular scoped rifles and the anti-armored ones lent by the Brittainians. He was assigned to 501st PIR of the 101st Airborne, Charlie Company. His first missions came during Operation Market Garden, which Liberion and Brittainian troops were parachuted in the rural parts of Gallia, still inhabited by the neuroi. For his two months there, he acquired 127 confirmed neuroi kills, making him the number one non-witch soldier to kill the most neuroi. His record kill was of a medium-type turtle neuroi that he killed from an estimated 1.2 miles away, making him the record-holder for the longest confirmed neuroi kill, both witch and non-witch. (There is debate on the current record-holder, with claims of a Liberion tank witch from the 8th Armored killed a neuroi from 1.4 miles away in Africa while speculation that Lynnette Bishop of the 501st JFW unknowingly killed a neuroi at 1.5 miles away during fighting in Brittainia. However, neither had solid confirmation backed up by a spotter or officer)._

_Due to his high kill count, he was scouted by advisors of Project Second Chance. He joined the project, training new infantry witches in Dover, Brittainia for Project Second Coming. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and taught for three weeks before asking to be placed back in the front. He was then assigned to a new group: the 45th Joint Recon Squad. He is second in command, looking over the witches of the 45th. He performed well with the squad during the Neuroi offensive in Ardennes, increasing his kill count to 165 confirmed kills. He acts like an older brother to the newer witches of the squad, Audrey and Francia. He also made friends with the Liberions in his unit, Captain Spiers, Sergeant Crecy, and Staff Sergeant Vlug._

(Based off of one of the most famous snipers in history, Vietnam U.S. Soldier Carlos Hathcock II)

**_Captain Logan Spiers:_**

Country of Origin: United States of Liberion/Brittainia

Age: 26

Branch of Military: Liberion Airborne Infantry

Rank: Captain

Role in Squad: Commanding Officer of the 45th JRS

Weapons: M1 carbine, Thompson submachine gun, M1911 pistol, Anti-Armor grenades

Magical Abilities: None

Familiar: None

Background info:

_Born in Dover, Brittainia to a Liberion Officer (Father) and a Brittainian nurse (Mother), he spent only one year of his life in Brittainia before moving to Boston, Massachusetts in Liberion. In a middle class family, his father told the accounts of the First Neuroi War to him. This prompted him to go into officer school in West Point after high school. He graduated and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, then volunteered for being a paratrooper. He passed his courses and was placed with the 506th PIR, 101st Airborne, Dog Company. While stationed in Wiltshire, Brittainia, he met and married a girl who was part of the Brittainian Nurse Corps, who happened to be a witch of nearly his age. He saw through with the birth of his son before being deployed in Operation Market Garden._

_During his three months there in rural Gallia, he fought some of the fiercest battles to take place. Upon his heroic actions in singlehandedly taking out five large-type neuroi turtles and saving the lives of twenty of his men, he was given the Bronze Star for his actions and promoted to the rank of captain. Upon hearing his heroic acts in Operation Market Garden, the advisors of Project Second Chance scouted him for a position to command one of the three newly-formed squads from the project. With it's operational theatre being centered in Europe, Spiers signed up to command the 45th Joint Recon Corps. In the Neuroi offensive in Ardennes, he led the 45th JRS in a mission to reconnect communication between the front lines. The successful mission linked communications of the Liberion 75th Ranger Battalion, Echo Company in the northern sector to Brittainian 6th Infantry, Liberion 67th Infantry, and 8th Karlsland Grenadiers in the southern sector, preventing a front collapse. They also provided useful information for forward artillery, helping stop the neuroi advance._

_He acts like the father figure for the entire squad, especially towards the young witches of the 45th. He has a good friendship with the Liberions in his squad: Lieutenant Hathcock, Sergeant Crecy, and Staff Sergeant Vlug._

(Based off of two sources of inspiration: WW2 U.S. soldier Ronals Spiers, who is also shown in _Band of Brothers_, and Captain Miller of _Saving Private Ryan_)

**And there's the bios for the two Liberion Airborne. Now with Operation Geronima underway, let's see how the 45th JRS will fair in the edge of Karlsland. Stay tuned for more!**


	3. Chapter 3: Discovery

**Hello. I am back to finally continue Operation Geronimo. Sorry for the wait. Due to school, writer's block, and my other story, Titans and Angels, I have been busy. But I'm glad to post a new chapter.  
**

**First, reviews:**

**_Gamerman22_: It's nice to know some more info about the special forces, especially on one of their mottos. I am trying to make one up for these infantry witches, although I don't know latin. And I really don't trust Google Translate. But glad to know!**

**_Danger close_: Glad you are loving it. I have a cousin I know in the military (Army mechanic) that is deployed and a friend of mine who's older than me that served during his deployment in Afghanistan. So my respect for infantry is high up there (let alone the military in general). And I totally respect the airborne as well, especially for their bravery during Operation Market Garden and others. As for Carlos Hathcock, I have great respect for the man, being a legendary sniper. That's why I paid tribute to the man in this fic.**

**_HistoryAnonymous_: Thanks for the review. I fixed up the necessary things that you pointed out. Wilma and Danny have now been changed from training with the 101st to now the 82nd. However, I also want to point out some things myself.**

**Danny has received her basic infantry witch training with the Army Rangers, with only a few separate courses of Airborne training with the 504th of the 82nd. Also, I assumed (or made it in this story) that the 75th has been formed during this time period. I would suspect the need for more men to combat the neuroi threat. After all these are miasma-shooting aliens, not the nazis (Although, the nazis were pretty bad too). So I figured that the rush for new elite infantry units would force the formation of the 75th Rangers.**

**As for the 503rd, I just made them pair up with the 82nd. As far as I know, there is no neuroi presence in the pacific, as Liberion hasn't been attacked in Pearl Harbor (unlike the real world counterpart) and Fuso has only encountered the neuroi in their area during the Fuso Sea Incident of '37 (A/N, thanks for Gamerman22 for fixing my mistake of it being '37). Because of this, I decided that the 503rd is to be paired up with the 82nd due to the lack of neuroi in the area of Asia, since the neuroi threat is only in Europe and Africa at the moment.**

**Nonetheless, your review has greatly helped my understanding of the airborne, and will be put to great use. Thanks for the info!**

**Anyways, thanks for the reviews! Please keep 'em coming since they do help me write (especially in motivation!).**

**Now, time for the story!**

* * *

_Chapter 3: Discovery_

* * *

Jane was fast asleep. She slept silently and calmly upon Jackie's lap, wrapped in the army-wool blanket. She quietly murmured things in her sleep, continuing her blissful slumber. The sun was already out, peeking through the cracks of the barn door.

_Poke_.

"Mmmm..." Jane kept sleeping.

_Poke Poke._

"Hmmmm... Huh?" Jane slowly sat up, her eyes adjusting to the light. "I swear... Danielle, if you are the one who's..."

Jane then finally opened her eyes. In front of her face was Jackie's face, who was right in front of her face. Awfully close to her face.

The two stared at each other for a moment, not sure how to speak. Finally, Jackie spoke up.

"Erm... well, morning Jane. You're awfully close... heh..." Jackie smirked. She had a bit of a blush on her face. Jane was turning a shade of crimson.

"J-Jackie... I-I..." Jane stuttered. She immediately got off of Jackie's lap, sitting next to her with embarrassment all over her.

"U-Uh..." Jane tried to form a sentence, but she couldn't formulate the words. The two heard giggling. They looked to see most of the 45th looking at them, cracking smiles.

"Looks like the two love-birds woke up." Hathcock smirked, sitting down. The two blushed a bright red.

"Shut it, John..." Jackie replied with a growl. Hathcock just laughed even more. Audrey, Fran, Danny, and Wilma smiled at the duo. The two decided to join the squad, who were sitting around the once-burning fire that now was reduced to smoking ashes.

"Are we heading out?" Jane asked, stretching, calming down. Jackie yawned, ruffling her cropped orange hair.

"Indeed, sergeant." Captain Speirs said. He was eating a packed ration while taking a glance at his map. Everyone was eating through the rations they had. Wilma handed the two Brittainians rations for them to eat, which they accepted graciously.

Jane smelled inside of her package before taking the breakfast portion of her K-ration. She opened up her canned ham and eggs. Although the smell and look wasn't of fresh-quality breakfast, she dug into her meal. A bit too chewy for the ham, but decent nonetheless. Next to her, Jackie and Wilma were washing down their meals with their canteens. Audrey was sharing her oatmeal mix with Fran, which the two munched on.

"Alright Cap," Danny said, finishing her canned ham. "Where now?"

"Well, on the map, we are right around here." Spiers displayed the map for all to see. He pointed to a empty space amidst a large forest, showing what was the barn and house they currently were at.

"Right now, we are currently one kilometer from the suspected search radius for our witch. We'll do a trek through the forest till we reach this town here." He pointed to a town that was at the edge of the circle.

"Afterwards, we just continue searching for our downed witch, looking through these towns here," He pointed to a few more towns on the map

"Hopefully our witch is smart enough to be taking shelter at any of these towns. Got it?"

"Sir, what if she's not in those towns? They could be occupied by the neuroi." Audrey said. Speirs just sighed before replying.

"Well, then we'll have to search through the entire forest. Our mission is to get that witch back, and that's what we must do." Everyone nodded to his statement.

"Alright, let's pack up and move out."

Everyone got their gear and began to head out. Hathcock pushed the barn door out with a bit of effort. Outside, the snow was thickly matted down onto the ground. Everywhere they saw was white. Even the trees looked like they were going to fall over from the amount of snow on them.

"Wow... so much snow..." Wilma said in awe.

"This is way more than any snowstorm back home..." Audrey added.

"I'm glad we took shelter in that barn." Danny said. "But, that downed witch..."

"That's more the reason to quickly find her." Spiers said. "Let's go find that witch."

"Right!"

* * *

_Two hour later..._

The squad continued their trek through the forest. The sky was clear as the sun brought warm rays down to them. Still, the cold nipped at them. Their breaths were shown in white puffs as she marched through the thick, deep snow. Everyone was silent along the march, cautiously eyeing the surroundings for any neuroi. A couple times, they saw a neuroi scout high in the sky. Thankfully, the thick forest protected them from sight. So they continued their trek.

Audrey was at the front of the group, next to Captain Spiers. Her familiar features were out as she used her magic antennae to scan the surroundings for movement. Nothing besides what she figured were small creatures moving about. Her tail just waved back and forth as she marched.

Absolute silence.

"Is it just me, or is it weird that we haven't seen any neuroi movement?" Danny whispered. She aimed her .50 cal around in a sweep.

"Same. I'm getting weird vibes from this..." Hathcock replied.

"Audrey, have you detected anything yet?" Fran asked.

"Besides wild animals, no." Audrey said. "Captain, this is really weird. Wouldn't there be more neuroi considering that we're in Karlsland territory?"

"I'd agree to that, but we have no idea what those neuroi have up their sleeve." Spiers replied as he studied the map. "Alright, we should be approaching the road leading to the closest town."

As they moved through the forest, the came up to a narrow, snow-covered dirt road. Patches of dirt were visible through the white snow, damp from the frost. The group began to walk along the road in a low crouch, making themselves small. They moved silently. Quietly.

"I see the town..." Audrey said in a low voice. The squad had reached the top of a hill that overlooked the town. Everyone crouched to see the town ahead of them. It was a fairly small town. And it was completely barren. Even the neuroi weren't present in this little ruin of humanity.

"Audrey, do you sense anything in the town?" Spiers asked. Audrey shook her head.

"Nothing. This is really weird."

"Agreed... but let's check that town first. Maybe we'll get lucky and find our witch."

Spiers signaled the squad to advance. The group quietly and sneakily descended into the town, awaiting for a surprise attack. Yet nothing came. No neuroi. Only the remains of what humanity left behind, now covered in snow. Cars. Wagons. Clothes. Toys. They all walked through the town's streets, narrowly going through abandoned neighborhoods and shops.

Fran saw a teddy bear laying on the ground. Only it's head stood out from the snow, with its ears on the verge of falling off from the seams. It was a dirty brown color. Fran dug it up from the snow. The rest was the same. It had a missing arm, which gray-brown, soggy cotton came out from it's socket. Audrey saw the sadness in Fran's eyes as she put it on top of a rusted-out car before rejoining the group.

The squad split up into small groups to search the buildings. Each time, they came up empty-handed. No witch to be rescued. No neuroi. Just ruins.

"Anything? Even footprints or notes?" Danny asked.

"Nothing. Our witch isn't here. Figures." Hathcock grumbled.

"Nothing's here." Spiers announced. "Let's get a move up to the next-"

"Captain!" Audrey said. Her magic antennae were up, but were a red color than the usual green.

"I've got something coming close to the town! Most likely neuroi!" On cue, everyone heard the distant 'drone' sound in the air.

"Everyone, into the buildings!" Spiers commanded with a hushed voice. Everyone herded themselves into the nearest building. Audrey, Spiers, and Fran laid low in an abandoned coffee shop. On the other side of the street were Wilma, Danny, Hathcock, Jane, and Jackie, hiding inside a tailor shop.

Immediately, two drones hovered around the town. They were awfully big to be drones, being the size of cars than the traditional soccer-ball-size. They hovered around the area. Searching for something. Or someone.

"Those are some big drones..." Danny muttered as she tightened her grip on her machine gun.

"They look like they are searching for something." Wilma added as she lay next to her Liberion friend.

"Or someone." Jane said. "Maybe they got a trail on the downed witch?"

Everyone heard another sound as a third drone appeared into view. It floated next to the two neuroi, seeming to converse with each other. With a screech, the third drone left as it quickly flew away. Meanwhile, the two neuroi drones were continuing their search, inspecting the buildings with a careful eye (or whatever peripheral vision they had as aliens). As they hovered, the neuroi were coming closer and closer to the squad's position.

"Scheiße, they're coming closer..." Fran muttered.

"Do we fire?" Wilma asked. Everyone was giving unsure looks.

"There's no way to flank those drones." Jane said. She kept watch on the drones, who were inspecting a run-down store a few blocks from them. The only way past them was through the main avenue. Where those drones were.

"Everyone, stay low and find better cover." Spiers ordered. "If we shoot, we'll be heard for miles."

Everyone then got into better cover as the neuroi drones hovered to inspect. Audrey hid behind an overturned table as the neuroi inspected their coffee shop. She could see Fran behind the countertop next to Captain Spiers, both with their guns in hand. Audrey felt her heart race a bit faster as she heard the hum of the drones as they hovered closer. Her breath formed white trails into the cold air. Audrey shifted her position to get a better viewpoint as she slowly moved back and towards the edge of the table, hugging along it. She peered over the edge to glance at the neuroi drones.

_Crunch._

Audrey felt as if the world just stopped as the sound echoed out from the store.

Audrey looked in horror at the direction of where the sound came. She lifted her right foot to display the broken remains of a piece of a coffee mug. The little flakes of clay were powdered on her boot while the shard of the mug laid there in fractured pieces. Suddenly, a low hum was emitted. She could sense one of the drones inspecting the coffee shop with a much more attentive eye than before. Audrey tucked herself in even further, trying her best to align herself with the back of the table. Her breath was growing faster as she felt the drone coming closer. The feeling of dread took over as more white puffs of breath came from her mouth. She was covered in a cold sweat. Despite it being freezing, Audrey felt like the world was becoming an oven.

She immediately covered her mouth in fear that her breathing would reveal her. In the corner of her eye, she could see the fear on Fran's face. Fran could only hide and watch in horror as the drone kept inching closer to the broken window, eyeing the store carefully. It gave a low, shrill shriek as the other drone accompanied it to search for the source of the noise.

_Crash._

Audrey froze as another noise was heard in the distance. The drones heard it as well as they focused their attention somewhere else. Audrey looked over the table carefully to see the drones now hovering over to a broken window of a store down the avenue. The glass was freshly broken into, with some bits falling off the already-worn glass pane. The drones began to inspect the store front for any movement.

"Sergeant Cosens."

Audrey turned to face Captain Spiers, accompanied with Fran.

"We're getting outta here. Let's move quick." The captain said in a hushed tone. Audrey noticed the others across the street carefully making their way out of their location, scurrying from the two distracted drones. Audrey nodded, and the three followed suit with the rest of the 45th. Within a matter of minutes, the squad rounded the corner and made their way out of the town.

Coming into a grove of pines, everyone stopped to catch their breath. Audrey took deep breaths to calm herself as she sat down next to a big pine. She took off her helmet to comb through her hair.

"Crap... I-I'm sorry, guys. I-I..." Audrey was nervous, still filled with adrenaline and fear from earlier. She gulped before trying to catch her breath once more.

"Relax, Audrey." Fran said, patting her friend's back.

"N-No... I almost blew the mission..."

"Forget about it, Cosens. Just be glad we're all safe. Ease up, okay?" Spiers said. He took a glance at his map to relocate their position. Audrey just let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

"And Sergeant Vlug, nice throw."

"Thank's Cap. I wasn't going to let those neuroi get to Audrey." Danny cheered. "Still, did you see the size of those drones?"

"Agreed." Jane added. "Those are too big to be drones, yet too small for any standard flying types. And more, they were looking for someone. I fear that the witch we're rescuing might have blow her cover."

"How many more places to look, Captain?" Wilma asked.

"Well, besides the entire forest, we have four more possible towns. And if Hill's theory is true, we don't have much time. Let's get moving."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Audrey panted throughout the trek as she gripped her carbine tightly. Her familiar ears and magical antennae were out as she scanned the forest with a close eye. She had been doing it for around most of the day now. The sky was growing dark already as the sun was beginning to dip behind the earth. She couldn't help but admire the beauty around her, with the snow glistening a soft orange hue from the rays.

The search for the downed witch had taken up the entire day. For town to town, the 45th searched thoroughly. And no results. All they found at each town were abandoned houses and rusty vehicles. They then began a search in the surrounding forest, hoping that their luck would come. No sign of their witch. The only (somewhat) good news from their search was the lack of neuroi presence in the area. They only encountered few drones along the way, which flew around in high altitudes. They looked the same as the previous drones, being big in size, yet nimble. That was the troublesome part. There were no drones of that size that any allied soldier had encountered before. Were these a new type of neuroi? Furthermore, what was to become of their downed witch? The best case senario was that the witch suffered no injuries upon crash and had a mild case of hypothermia. But with how long she must have been here, along with the possibility of being injured upon crashing and severe hypothermia from the storm, her chances seemed dim. Then add in the factors of hunger, fatigue, and the neuroi drones, the mission felt hopeless. Yet, everyone kept going in search for the missing witch. After all, this was their most important mission so far, and they were not going to give it up.

"Cosens, that's enough. Take a rest." Spiers said. Audrey, who was tired from both the march and her magical use, agreed as she put back her familiar featured. She let out a sigh as she wiped the sweat off her brow. Turning around, she noticed the tired faces on the others as well. Yet, just like her, they had determination written all over them.

With a couple of steps, the squad managed to luck out. A cave was found amongst the grove. Although not as deep, it would make do for the tired reconnaissance squad. As the sun was settling down, they decided to follow suit.

"Alright, let's hold up in that cave for the night." Spiers said. Everyone nodded as they all made their way inside. The dark cave was illuminated with the efforts of Jackie, now shedding some light on the inside. The cave turned out to be roomier on the inside, opening up even wider.

"Ahh... that hits the spot." Danny said as she sat down. She placed her gear down and took off her helmet. Combing through her long, blonde hair, she felt relief as her aching muscles were getting their needed rest.

Everyone felt the same way as they began to sit down. The mood eased as everyone was finally allowed to let their guard down inside the cave. Audrey sat next to the Karlsland witch, who was stretching out her arms. With a tug, Audrey let out a groan of relief as her boot came off, now letting her aching feet some freedom. Upon notice, she heard the laughs of the rest of the squad.

"W-What? My feet were killing me." Audrey said in an embarrassed tone.

"I can't deny that." Hathcock laughed. He took off his boots to finally massage them. "I had a damn ache in my left foot. Feels great to get it out."

The squad relaxed as they took inventory with their equipment and stretched their muscles. The night was approaching closer. Volunteering, Wilma, Jane, and Fran went out to get firewood. With another flick from Jackie, the cave was lit with a dim light as everyone felt it's warmth. Audrey put her damp feet and socks next to the flame and instantly felt a wave of euphoria as her cold toes began to feel warmth. People began to pass out rations and the mood turned lighter in spite of the situation at hand. Everyone was talking in a hushed tone while eating the K-rations they held in their hands.

"Anyone got anything good?" Hathcock said. He ate his C-rations, Meat with Vegetable Hash, with his spoon. Although not exactly eye-appealing, he ate the food without a second glance.

"Bleh. I got Ham and Lima beans." Danny said. The pasty sludge in her container shoshed around. Just looking at it made her sick. "Wilma, can I please share some of yours?"

Wilma nodded happily, handing over what was canned spaghetti. With a bite, Danny felt happier.

"I thought Liberions would eat anything?" Jane smirked as she ate her rations.

"Except that. That should not even be considered edible." Danny pointed out. Everyone looked at the sludge called Ham and Lima beans. After that, everyone agreed.

Everyone ate their rations. The night was filled with the noise of the nighttime wildlife. The howling of wolves and the 'hoo'ing of owls echoed throughout the forest. Faint winds swayed the pines softly. In Audrey's mind, it felt as if they were all camping. Just disregard the fact that they were on a mission and that there were neuroi within the forest.

Audrey glanced outside. The moon was in full view. In her mind, she kept thinking about the witch that was out there.

_'She must be cold, hungry, and scared out there... while we're here being warm... will she be alright?'_

Audrey silently glanced at her food. Spiers took note of Audrey's silence and decided to speak out.

"Cosens, you worried about that witch, aren't you?"

"Huh? Oh... how did you...?" Spiers adjusted himself as the entire squad looked to him.

"You have that look in your eyes."

"I guess I am worried." Audrey said. "She must be cold, hungry, and afraid out there alone in the woods. I just hope we find her in time."

"Audrey, I can assure you we'll find her. We all made that promise to find her before anything else. After all, 'first to enter, last to leave'. We're not leaving without her." Spiers said with confidence.

"Y'know, just to pass the time, did I ever tell you about my wife and son back home?" Everyone eyed with curiosity at the Liberion captain.

"No sir, we never knew you were married." Wilma said.

"Let alone you were a father, sir." Hathcock added.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, what's your wife and son's names?" Audrey spoke.

"My wife's name is Diane. I met her when I was stationed in Brittainia, just before Operation Market Garden. We named our son Robert."

"How old is your son, sir?" Jane asked.

"My wife has told me that he is now two years old." Spiers said. He let out a long, drawn out sigh before continuing.

"It's been around two years since I seen them. I love them dearly. That's why I fight even harder to ensure they will never see the horrors the neuroi can bring. That's what we do."

"However, I also want to see you guys safe too. That's my duty not just as squad leader, but as a fellow soldier of this squad. Hoohah?"

"Hoohah."

"Agreed, sir."

"Jahowl."

"Yes sir." Audrey smiled.

"Alright. Let's get some shut eye. We still gotta find our witch."

"I ain't gonna argue about some shut eye." Danny said with a laugh. She began to lie down, using her pack as a pillow.

"Jackie and I will take the first shift." Jane said. She grabbed her Lee Enfield while Jackie held her sterling submachine gun.

"Alright, everyone else. Let's get some sleep."

* * *

"Audrey."

"Hmm..."

"Audrey, wake up."

"Huh?" Audrey woke up. She came to face the two Brittainians that stood near the cave entrance. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as Jane approached the Faraway Lander. Around her, the cave was dark from the absence of the fire, forcing her eyes to adjust in her already tired state.

"Is it my shift?" Audrey yawned.

"No, but we heard something."

"Something?" Audrey rubbed her eyes once more before cautiously standing up in the dim cave.

"Like what?"

"Well, we're not sure..." Jane sheepishly admitted.

"Maybe it was you imagination then..." Audrey began to doze off on the spot, much to the surprise (and annoyance) of Jane.

"Audrey, stay awake!"

"Huh? Oh... eh, sorry." Audrey said with embarrassment. Jane just looked at her with a stern look before continuing.

"Audrey, we just want to know whether we've been spotted by neuroi by using you magical antennae."

"Or it could just be a bear or something." Jackie yawned. She too was struggling to stay awake, rubbing her eyes occasionally.

"We're in neuroi territory, Jackie. We got to be prepared for everything."

"Do you think there is a neuroi that small?" Jane thought about Jackie's statement for a bit, before sighing in defeat.

"Yeah... maybe you're right. I could just be tired..."

"Look, I'll agree with you, Jane. Let's just figure out what it was." Audrey yawned. She quickly grabbed her gear and carbine before walking out. The three cautiously exited the safety of the cave and into the snow-covered forest.

"So, where did you say the noise was?" Audrey said, clutching her carbine.

"Jane said it was around there." Jackie said with a yawn. She pointed towards a cluster of trees and bushes covered in snow.

"Alright." Audrey summoned her familiar features as her magical antennae popped out. The three walked towards the area Jackie pointed towards.

"Jane, you sure it wasn't a bear or fox or something?" Jackie asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it... I think." Jane said in a quiet, nervous voice.

"Audrey, you got anything?"

Audrey focused on the area ahead of her. She did sense something in the brush. However, due to being awakened at this time, accompanied with her fatigue from the trek and her knack to sleep (and being a heavy sleeper in general), her tired mind wasn't sure of what to make of it.

"Y-Yeah.. I think there's something there." Audrey said as she stifled a yawn.

"Audrey, are you always this tired?" Jane asked.

"I wouldn't blame her." Jackie grumbled, accompanying Audrey's yawn with her own. Jane gave an annoyed glare at the tired duo.

"Whatever, let's just investigate."

The three cautiously approached the bushes. Audrey was the first to squeeze in, checking her surroundings for any dangers. The two Brittainian witches followed. Audrey then noticed something. She made out the outline of something on the snow, covered ground. Or, perhaps, someone.

"Wait... I see something." Audrey said.

"Yeah... I see it too..." Jackie added.

"Wait... it's someone!" Jane said in surprise. The three ran over to the mystery person. Upon getting closer, they could tell it was a girl that laid in the snow in front of them. However, the dark night made it hard to clearly make out who it was.

"Alright, time to shed some light." Jackie said. She called out her familiar and with a snap of her fingers, a small flame emitted out.

The three huddled together to finally see their mystery person. She wore a black Karlsland Luftwaffe top that was covered in frost and snow. Her hair was short and blond. Her face had bruises, with a cut on her upper forehead. Dried blood was where the cut was. Her legs were bruised, having appeared to been walking (or running) for quite a while. Most importantly, she seemed very weak and haggard as she was struggling for breath. She was collapsed on the snowy ground in an unconscious state, most likely from pure exhaustion from whatever she endured through. At times, she gave off a shiver from the cold ground that enveloped her.

"It's her. Our downed witch." Jane spoke in disbelief.

"Hurry, let's get her up!" Audrey spoke frantically. The three immediately grabbed her. Audrey monitored the condition of the witch, who kept shivering in the cold. They carefully carried her back into the cave.

"Everyone, wake up!" Audrey spoke aloud. She was met with some surprised and startled grunts. Everyone inside the cave was wondering what was happening as they scrambled for their weapons.

"Is it neuroi?" Hathcock said. He had his thompson out while his hair was a disheveled mess.

"What's going on?" Wilma said.

"Yeah, Audrey what's-" Fran immediately caught sight of the figure the three were carrying. Everyone then understood.

"Everyone, clear the floor!" Captain Spiers ordered. Danny instantly pushed everything aside while Fran and Jane laid down a wool blanket. Audrey and Jackie laid the injured witch onto the blanket while Wilma stood close by. The Liberion medic summoned her terrier features. Her tail and ears sprouted.

"Jackie, can you please give off some light?"

Jackie nodded, once more igniting her fingertips. Everyone got a better view of the injured witch. Wilma began to assess the situation of the witch, inspecting her from head to toe.

"Crecy, how's she doing?" Spiers asked.

"Her external injuries aren't too severe. The one thing I'm worried is her temperature. She's already facing the early signs of hypothermia." Wilma said. She felt the skin of the witch. It was dangerously cold. The witch gave a shiver.

"I need someone to start a fire. We got to get her body heat back up." Wilma ordered. As Wilma began healing, Danny, Hathcock, and Jane went outside to collect firewood. Jackie remained by Wilma's side, illuminating the cave. Spiers began to wrap the few cuts up with bandages and was carefully nurturing to the injured witch. All the while, Audrey and Fran could only watch from behind. Audrey took notice of Fran. She seemed unable to speak, watching in concern and worry at the injured witch as Wilma did her best to heal her.

"Fran?" Audrey could only see the Karlsland witch stutter a few words in disbelief.

"Oberleutnant Hartmann..."

* * *

**Done!**

**Now we finally figure out who our mystery downed witch is...**

**Will our beloved blonde, sturm-using ace be saved? How will the 45th get back to the allied lines? And what do those sneaky neuroi have up their sleeves (or whatever they have. I dunno, they're aliens, for crying out loud!)?**

Jackie: Find out in the next chapter!

**Yeah, what she-**

**Jackie?! What the hell?!**

Jackie: Huh? Oh, hey Ash. How ya doing?

**Nevermind, what the hell are you doing here?**

Jackie: You told me to not butt into that other story of yours... um... _Titans and Angels_, was it? So, I came here.

**Oh yeah... now I remember...**

**Just... close the chapter, will ya?**

Jackie: See you in the next chapter! Cheers, mates!


	4. Chapter 4: I remember

Jackie: **_Hello all! Jackie is here! You guys may be wondering why Ash isn't introducing this segment of the story. That is because he is sick._**

***cough cough***

Jackie: **_Yup... still sick..._**

**_Anyways, He let me use the special bold-ifyer for today! Sweet! Let's get to some reviews:_**

**_Motown Scrapper: Thanks Motown! Glad you respect us infantry witches! Although, we do more than search-and-rescue! For example, one time we were tasked to recon this place for some air witches. I remember using my broadsword to chop up these unlucky neuroi blokes-_**

***cough* Jackie... please don't stray off... *cough cough***

Jackie: **_Hehe... right..._**

**_Gamermann22: Huh, I didn't know about those Liberions... wait... Ash, what are the Liberions called in your place?_**

***cough* Americans.**

Jackie: **_Okay, Americans. Didn't know that they almost ruined their operation in Romagna... erm... Italy. I betcha us Brittainians would've done a better job! But they are still brave too!_**

**_RoguePizza: Thanks! Glad you are liking us infantry witches! And also, Lieutenant Hathcock is a pretty cool person. I can't believe he's killed tons of neuroi. Kinda makes me jealous._**

**_Anyways. Reviews are done! It's time-_**

***ACHOOO!* *sniffle***

**_-to get to the story!_**

* * *

_Chapter 4: I remember..._

* * *

"Hartmann, a couple drones on your six o'clock!"

"I'm already on it!"

Erica looked over her shoulder to see three drones trailing behind her. As they fired their miasma at her, she performed a sharp turn upwards, increasing altitude and bled off speed. With ease, she looped around behind the neuroi. A quick succession of her MG-42 a the drones exploded into white shards.

Erica turned around to view her wingman. Trude was following three drones, while three others tailed her. Erica watched as Trude expertly weaved between beams, only propping her shield a couple times. She turned around to dispatch all three of her followers before making quick work of the drones in front of her with her MG-151's. Trude then reunited with Erica, flying side by side.

"I shot down 32. You?"

"Same here. Tied again."

Five more drones came into view. The drones fired their lasers at the Karlsland duo with rapid succession. Erica and Trude propped up their shields to deflect the blasts before firing off a few more rounds of hot lead. Erica scored two while Trude scored two. But before the last drone could be claimed by either, a quick burst of bullets decimated the last drone. Minna made her way to the two, flying alongside.

"Minna, I almost had it!" Trude exclaimed. Minna just gave a soft laugh.

"Sorry. I just wanted to drop by."

"And besides, I would've gotten to it first!" Erica exclaimed boldly.

"Such enthusiasm. Only if you were that enthusiastic in cleaning your side of the room as you are in combat." Trude said, leaving a grumbling Erica up to her thoughts.

"Also," Trude said. "What about the other three?"

The three Karlsland witches glanced over to their right. In the distance, Yoshika, Lynnette, and Perrine were taking care of a group of neuroi drones. Both Yoshika and Perrine quickly took out five drones, shattering them in a dazzling display of white confetti. Meanwhile, Lynnette fired off quick shots from her Anti-Armor rifle, successfully destroying three drones with pinpoint accuracy, two of them taken out with one shot.

"They've greatly improved since the Romagna." Minna said. The two other witches nodded in unison.

The three other witches flew next to the Karlslanders, forming a "Vee" formation. They flew in formation, flying above their main task, the 8th Joint Strike Force. The 501st was tasked with providing cover for the bomber witches as they made their daily bombing run in preparation of Operation Lumberjack, or the Allied push into Karlsland and over the Rhine. Unexpected numbers of neuroi were appearing from their previous bombing runs, proving too troublesome for the bomber witches and their heavier strikers to handle. So the 501st was asked to provide support for the 8th JSF as they came closer to the Karlsland border and their target.

Below, Minna could see the formation of bomber witches, continuing on their path unopposed. Immediately, the crackle of the radio filled the ears of the 501st.

"*_This is Commander Doolittle, call-sign Barbie III. Thanks for the fighter support, 501st. Those neuroi were a bit feistier than usual._*"

"No problem." Minna replied. "After all, anything to help a fellow witch."

The two squadrons of witches flew. Thankfully, no more drones came to intercept the bomber witches, leaving them safe for the time being. The witches were then in a brief clearing from the clouds. The Karlsland ground below was visible, covered in a blanket of white snow and surrounded by pine trees. On the ground, there were small black spots that contrasted the snow.

"*_This is Miss Pick Up! I got sights on neuroi bunkers!_*" One of the Bomber Witches said.

"*_Affirmative. Ladies, line up your sights!_*" Commander Doolittle ordered.

The six members of the 501st watched from above as the 8th JSF began to prepare for their bombing run. Out of nowhere, blackish-red puffs of smoke and small explosions surrounded the area. Immediately, there was chatter filling the comms.

"*_Crap! Neuroi flak!_*" One of the bomber witches yelled.

"*_Keep steady, ladies. We're almost there!_*" Doolittle yelled through the radio.

The supercharged rounds of miasma were blasting around the group of witches. Even the 501st above were getting their first taste of the flak, encountering the occasional explosion near them. The witches were propping their shields to deflect the rounds of flak around them. The explosions continued at the 8th gained closer to their target: a massive bunker in the forest below.

"*_NOW! DROP! DROP! DROP!_*" Doolittle yelled.

Erica watched as the Bomber Witches dropped their payload of bombs onto the neuroi bunker below. The bunker flashed red, firing lasers of miasma. Some of the free-falling bombs exploded in midair as the laser cut through them before colliding into the shields of some of the bomber witches. But the rest landed their mark. The heavy thud of thousand-pound bombs exploding onto the ground below could be heard this high up. A massive cloud of snow and dirt erupted, followed by the familiar screech and 'ping' of the neuroi core being shattered. The bunker and its defenses exploded in a dazzling display from the green forest.

"*_Haha! Down for the count!_*" A bomber witch cheered. Erica faintly remembered her call-sign as Texas Raiders, fitting for the cowgirl apparel she wore.

"*_Bunker is destroyed! Good work, ladies!_*" The cheers of the 8th JFS were heard through the radio.

"*_Alright ladies, let's head back home. 501st, we'd appreciate the cover back home, just to be safe._*" Doolittle said through the radio.

"No problem, Commander Doolittle. We'll keep an eye." Minna said. The witches began to turn back towards the direction of the Allied front in high spirits.

"Wow, those bomber witches are pretty amazing." Yoshika spoke.

"This is the first time we've been asked to provide cover for bomber witches." Minna said. "It surprises me how they face all this and land their targets dead-on."

"I'm impressed as well..." Trude added.

Suddenly the comms crackled back to life.

"*_Commander, I count ten fighter neuroi coming to our position!_*" Miss Pick Up exclaimed. Her voice was tense.

"*_Affirmative, Samantha. A little strange why only ten though..._*"

"*_Wait! These ones are moving very fast!_*" It was Minna's turn to enter the conversation.

"Commander Doolittle, I can agree." Minna said. Her spacial awareness detected the neuroi. "I too sense multiple neuroi closing in, going faster than usual. Maybe we-"

Minna was interrupted as three neuroi zoomed by, firing at the bomber witches. One bomber witch barely had enough time to deflect a bolt of miasma coming towards her with her shield. She struggled to hold it as the force of the blast almost made her collide into the witch next to her. The three neuroi zoomed past at remarkable speed, barely being seen except with a blur of red and black. The sound they emitted as they flew past was like a jet.

"Roberta!" One of the witches cried out.

"I-I'm okay Esther... but how are they so fast?!" The witch replied back. From witnessing what had happened, the 501st was already coming to the aid of the 8th, flying in formation next to the lead bomber witch.

"Commander Doolittle, we'll provide cover for all of you." Minna spoke. The other witch commander nodded before looking back towards her own witches.

"Alright everyone! Tight formation! We have no idea what these new neuroi can do besides being fast and flashy, so keep your guard up!"

The bomber witches nodded and tightened up their formation. As the next wave of fast neuroi fighters approached, the 501st broke off to engage. Flying in "Vee" formation, the six witches engaged their targets. The neuroi zoomed past at record speed, dodging the bullets the six fired. The back blast of wind almost blew them off balance as the roar of the jet-like neuroi hit their ears with ferocity.

"They're so fast! How is that even possible?!" Perrine shouted. She tried to fire her shots at a zooming neuroi, but the speed of the miasma-firing alien proved too difficult to land a shot.

"These are different neuroi than before!" Trude added. She fired her cannons and managed to clip the side of one of the neuroi. However, it regenerated with ease and continued to make passes on the witches.

"It's regenerating!" Perrine said. The typical run-of-the-mill drone couldn't regenerate. These were indeed a new type of neuroi they were encountering. The new information worried Minna. Were the neuroi evolving even more? If so, what else was out there?

"They're too fast to hit!" Erica shouted. She fired her bullets as she trailed her target, but the neuroi proved too fast to catch up. Erica immediately heard the screech of another neuroi. She barely had time to prop up her shield as red miasma slammed hard into her defense. The neuroi passed by with a loud 'whiz', stirring the air around it into a fast and furious frenzy. Keeping track of just these ten neuroi was dizzying enough for the six of them.

"Commander, what's the plan?" Lynnette asked between shots. Minna thought hard at the situation at hand. With a quick glance at one of the neuroi, an idea formulated. She could see the long turn radius the neuroi had. If they were like the jets and jet strikers, these neuroi would be slow in turning and only deadly in "boom-n-zoom" tactics. If they caught them as they turned, they could get the upper hand.

"Alright, I got a plan." Minna said. All eyes were on her. "The neuroi are just like the jets: they're slow in turning. Catch them as they turn to make attacks."

"Right!"

With a newly formed plan, the six witches continued to fend off the neuroi. The quick neuroi shot off at them with remarkable speed, firing their lasers. The witches propped up their shields to block the lasers before returning fire. Again, the neuroi dodged with ease before zooming past to make another round of attacks. At that moment was when the Brittainian witch shot. One neuroi exploded into crystals as the heavy round went through the armor of the alien.

"I got one!" Lynnette cheered. Everyone's hopes were now up.

The neuroi continued their passes once more, but the witches knew better. Dodging, the six fired off rounds to scatter the attackers away. The neuroi made their mistakes of turning to make more passes, only to be met with hot lead. As a result, two more neuroi fell victim, letting out their death screeches as they exploded.

As the battle pressed on, the Bomber Witches were steadily getting farther from view. The neuroi picked up on this. With their intended target growing farther away and these pesky witches now fighting them, their objective had failed. Rather than fall victim to these witches, they sped off back into their nearest hive.

"They're retreating..." Yoshika said in disbelief. This was the first time any of them witnessed the neuroi retreat. Erica didn't like that.

"Oh no they aren't!" With that, Erica sped after the neuroi. Trude and Minna watched in surprise as her wingman bashfully went off to pursue the neuroi. This wasn't like the neuroi.

"Hartmann, wait!" Trude called out before following the Karlsland witch.

Erica continued to follow the retreating neuroi. Although these neuroi were easily ahead, Erica mustered all her energy to get closer. Each minute, she could sense the neuroi getting closer to her sights. She focused on lining up her gun on one. With battle-hardened calmness, she locked down her sights on one of the neuroi.

That's when the neuroi fighter turned back.

"Huh?" Erica watched as two neuroi sharply turned to face her as the rest continued to retreat. Erica fired her machine gun, catching one of the neuroi. The remaining one went head-on with the blonde witch, firing more lasers. Erica swiftly propped up her shield to deflect the shots before returning fire. Her bullets only grazed the neuroi, clipping off chunks of it's black armor. However, it proved effective as the neuroi began to spin out of control at fast speeds.

Coming straight for her.

Erica felt the force of a train slam into her left leg as the striker unit exploded into metal shrapnel. The neuroi disintegrated into shards, leaving Erica's left striker unit in a total mess. Erica began to flat-spin, spiraling down towards the earth in a dizzying frenzy. The spinning world and amount of G-forces being pressed upon her was blurring her vision and making her nauseous. All she heard was the rush of wind and her radio in hysterical panic.

"*_Hartmann!_*"

"*_Hartmann, pull up. You got to pull up!_*"

Her head was hurting as she continued to spiral out of control. She was on the verge of passing out as she saw the world spinning in a blurry, darkened mess.

Was this it? The end?

"*_Please Hartmann, pull up!_*"

'_No! I'm not going to die!_'

Erica slowly began to straighten herself out. She stopped spinning and began to level herself. However, the ground was coming dangerously closer. She looked back at her left striker unit. The entire thing was in a mangled mess, smoking dangerously. With all her might, she began to straighten up. However, the ground was approaching closer and closer. She could make out the snowy ground and tall pines now.

'_Crap, I'm going to crash if I don't pull up._'

"*_Hartmann, what's happening?_*" Erica heard Minna's voice over her earpiece.

"My striker is all busted! I think I'll have to make an emergency landing."

"*_Alright. We'll be there to pick you back up-_*"

"*_Commander!_*" Yoshika's voice yelled through the radio. "*_More neuroi incoming!_*"

Erica looked above to see more drones on route. Her eyes widened as she counted forty neuroi drones, accompanied with the same fast neuroi from before. They weren't retreating. They were regrouping. And she fell into their trap.

The wave of drones dived upon her. Erica had to dodge the bolts of red that flew around her. Her damaged striker was already making problems worse, sputtering smoke and oil as she fought. It didn't help that she was dangerously close to the tree line either.

"*_Hartmann, we're almost there! Just hold on!_*" Minna called out. Erica could see the five others in the distance, but how much longer can she hold?

Erica tried her best to fend off the swarm. Firing her MG-42, two drones fell victim. She propped up her shield to deflect a few more lasers before firing again. The swarm of neuroi didn't stop with their attacks, swarming around her like a cloud of wasps. She was panting heavily as more drones flew around her. She dodged more and more, but she couldn't keep up with her striker in disrepair. That was when one neuroi had a lucky shot. A beam of miasma hit Erica's right striker unit. It exploded, sending Erica spiraling downwards. She heard Trude's voice scream through the comms.

"*_Erica!_*"

* * *

Erica woke up. Her eyes darted around. It took her a second to realize that she wasn't in the cold, unforgiving snow.

'_Huh? I'm in a cave...?_'

She began to sit up, only to notice more things around her. The cave was warm and lit up as a campfire was slowly burning, illuminating the inside. Furthermore, she noticed the bandages and blanket wrapped around her, keeping her chilled body in soothing warmth. Then did she realize that she wasn't alone in the cave.

"She's awake!"

Erica turned her head to face a Liberion witch. Oddly to her, she was wearing a Liberion soldier uniform, with the familiar Red Cross of a medic. She even wore pants. She had blue eyes, glasses, brown hair, and freckles. Behind her was a Karlsland witch wearing the Karlsland paratrooper uniform. Both had looks of relief on their faces.

The squad began to crowd around Erica as she began to sit up. They all looked at her with a wave of relief and concern. Meanwhile, Erica gave confused looks back at everyone. Like how she got here, what was happening, and who these people were.

"Oberstleutnant Hartmann!" Fran said with relief. Erica gave her a confused look.

"W-Who are you people? And... where am I?"

"Don't worry ma'am." Captain Speirs assured. "We're the 45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad. We're your extraction team."

"Wait, you guys are here to rescue me?"

"That's correct, ma'am." Erica felt a wave of relief and joy from Captain Spiers' response.

"I'm so glad... I thought I was going to be stuck out here forever."

Erica tried to stand up, but immediately her muscles screamed out in pain. She grunted in pain before being safely lowered down to her blanket by Fran and Wilma.

"Lieutenant Hartmann, you shouldn't stand up! You're still suffering from injury and recuperating from mild hypothermia." Wilma explained. Fran was nodding feverishly behind the Liberion medic.

"R-Right. Sorry, I shouldn't have thought I would automatically be fine." Erica said.

"D-Don't worry about it, ma'am!" Fran stuttered with a salute and a gleam in her eyes. Erica sweatdropped at Fran, reminding her about a certain Karlsland witch...

* * *

_Five Days ago..._

The sharp pangs of pine branches and pine needles slammed into her. Then came the ground. With a loud 'thump', Erica felt mountains of snow and dirt slam into her. She cried out in pain as her body went into painful shock. Her head was dizzy. Touching her forehead, she felt a cut. She looked at the small river of red blood trickling down from her head to the bridge of her nose before wiping it off in a red smear. With painful movements, she exited her striker unit (or what was left of it) and began to weakly stand up.

She glanced around to grasp the situation. Her earpiece was no longer in her ear. Looking around, she couldn't find her MG-42. She was exhausted from how much magic she consumed. The striker was already in smoking ruins amongst the dirty snow. Next, she checked herself. Although everything was sore, nothing felt broken or sprained. Her mind has pounding in a dizzying manner and there were a few bruises and cuts, but otherwise she was perfectly fine. Until she heard the screech of the neuroi.

She looked up to see drones flying around the air above her. Although the trees provided enough cover for her, Erica was afraid. Without a weapon, striker, and no known way to signal help, she felt hopelessly exposed. The screeching of neuroi above her made her tense. It was then when a beam of red sliced the ground next to her.

The ground exploded in a flurry of snow and dirt, while pine trees ignites instantly upon contact. Erica immediately began to run from whatever neuroi spotted her. Where to? Anywhere safe and hidden. Finding a small log to hide under, she made herself small as possible as she heard the firefight above her. Through the trees, she witnessed the other five combat the neuroi. She watched while she hid in her little zone of comfort, hoping that they could wipe of the neuroi and rescue her. Everyone looked like specs compared to the blue sky above. Small explosions of white crystals emitted up above, giving some relief to herself. Then it immediately changed.

"Wait... no... no..." Erica watched in disbelief as the five specs in the sky began to fly away with the neuroi in tail. They were leaving her behind.

"No... the can't be..." Erica muttered to herself. They weren't leaving her, right?

Right?

The others above continued the trek going back home with the neuroi chasing behind them. Leaving her alone in the snowy Karlsland forest. Deep in neuroi territory.

"Guys! Wait! I'm here!" Erica shouted in desperation as she waved her hands. "I'm okay! I'm right here!" Nothing. The witches continued to fly back home.

'_C'mon. They know I'm alive. Wait... they're probably just regrouping... that's right. Regrouping to find me later once they finish the neuroi off._' She though happily.

She sat on the log as she scanned the sky for her friends. But with each passing minute, her hopes were falling. It felt like at least an hour before she began to worry. With no sign of anyone from the 501st, she tediously scanned the sky.

Did they forget about her? No... that couldn't be it. Maybe they can't find her in this thick forest? Or maybe they thought she died? Was anyone coming back?

Erica paced the snow anxiously in her bare feet. The cold snow was chilling her toes, making they sting little by little the more she remained standing. Eventually, she decided to sit back down again to watch the sky above. Her thoughts went wild on many scenarios where they couldn't find her. She dreaded the thoughts of being stuck here forever, without anyone finding about her fate.

'_C'mon Erica... calm down and think... they're most likely going to return to base and find you later... yeah... that sounds right. For now, you just got to make shelter and await for them to come back._'

With renewed energy, she quickly set off to find shelter. Remembering basic survival from training, she looked around for anything to start a fire. Gathering branches and pine needles, she laid them on a rather dry spot underneath a pine tree. With more scrounging, she found what appeared to be flint. With all her ingredients in place to make a fire, she began to start. With a couple of flicks with the two rocks she created sparks to make...

Nothing.

Erica was puzzled by this, then continued to strike the two rocks together once more. More sparks flew, yet they failed to ignite the timber.

Another strike.

Nothing.

Another.

Nothing.

"C'mon..." Erica said with frustration, striking the flint with more ferocity. Sparks flew and flew, but failed to ignite the flames. She wished that her magical ability was like Perrine's, where she could just zap some sparks to make a flame. Or, even better, just have a fire ability like that one bomber witch that she saw. She wondered how the first cave people pulled off a feat like this.

"Stupid rock!" Erica yelled.

She threw the rocks at the pile of timber in frustration, losing any hope to make a fire and just accepted freezing in the snow. Upon dumb luck, the two rocks collided against each other, sparking once more. With chemistry taking place, the sparks jumped to the dry foliage, heating it up. In that instant, the shrugs and twigs began to ignite into small embers.

"Eh?" Erica just looked in both confusion and awe at what just happened. She made fire. Without even trying. The proof of her accidental efforts were right in front of her, slowly crackling.

Immediately, she rushed to start blowing onto the embers. Within a few seconds, flames appeared. With quickness, she rushed to gather more kindling to keep the fire going. Soon, she had a nice, cozy fire in front of her. She put her freezing feet near the flames, feeling the rush of warmth bringing feeling back to her toes. Wiggling them, she sighed happily as the flames blanketed her in warmth against the cruel, cold forest around her. This must've been what the cavemen felt like after discovering fire.

However, fate thought otherwise. As the heated air from the flames rose, they collided into the thick branches of the pine above, which happened to be covered in snow. With basic thermochemistry taking place, the heated air mixed with the cold layers of snow above. Soon enough, the solidly compacted snow was beginning to soften up. The drops of newly-liquefied snow that fell to the ground went unnoticed to Erica, who continued to be at bliss with the fire's warmth. That's when it happened.

"Ahh!" Erica screamed in shock as a thick clump of soft, wet snow landed right on top of her. She felt chills around her body as she felt the wet snow cover her. But that wasn't what brought her to despair. In front of her, she witnessed an equally thick clump of snow land right on top of her fire, quickly smothering the flames.

Erica stared blankly at what once was her provider for warmth, now reduced to a wet pile of useless twigs and grass. She just trembled and casted a sigh in defeat. Once again, she was cold.

"G-Great..." She muttered. A slight breeze came to greet her. Shivering, she let out a sneeze. Even better. Now she was cold, wet, and sick. In the middle of neuroi-occupied Karlsland.

'_N-No... I'm a witch! I'll never give up!_' Erica thought. She stood up proudly, now with a sense of pride and determination on her face (and a slightly runny nose as well).

'_Alright... think... maybe I should get a bearing on where I am. Yup, that's right!_' She mentally patted herself on the back for remembering her training once more. Then again, remembering Marsielle challenging her constantly and Trude's fights with the former kinda brought bad memories. But that wasn't important. What was important was her survival training that she learned. After all, she was a proud Karlsland witch!

...

Okay, maybe she was beginning to feel a little too much like Trude for her liking.

Shrugging off that little weird moment in her head, she began to storm off to find her bearing inside this massive forest. She marched on through the snow. The cold snow was freezing her feet, but it didn't matter. She kept following a straight path in hopes to find some type of landmark to get a sense of direction. As she made the trek, the sun was progressively getting closer to the horizon as night began to fall. With that came the start of a snowstorm. Shivering, Erica wished she could find shelter before the brewing storm engulfed her.

Her luck was coming back. She stumbled upon a small village through the forest. With a new sense of hope, she rushed to the nearest house.

Carefully entering inside, she gave a peek around the small house. It was dark and dusty, yet surprisingly unscathed. It even seemed as if nature didn't even try to barge into this house or that the elements never affected it. She wiped off her feet on the welcome mat and began to search for things. To her surprise, she found a pair of snow boots. She immediately grabbed them and put them on. Despite the accumulated dust, they surprisingly were in good condition. Even a cozy fit. The insulated fur that lined the inside brought back warmth to her feet. Continuing to inspect the house, she found the items of the previous owner. Some pictures containing a wedded couple. More pictures of children and family. The last one caught her eye.

An elderly couple was framed in the center. An elderly man wearing a leather jacket and jeans. An elderly woman wearing a nice blouse. Erica felt a little bad for taking these new articles of clothing. They must have belonged to the elderly gentleman in the picture. She could only hope that these two were safe and made it out in the initial evacuation of Karlsland.

She looked around the house some more. There were only four rooms: a bedroom (must've been the elderly couple's room considering more pictures inside), a bathroom, a small kitchen, and another guest bedroom. She rummaged around the closet, but only found few clothes that remained. Most of which were summer ones, already collecting dust and moth-eaten. The kitchen contained no food anywhere.

Then again, Erica thought that any food that remained for this long wasn't going to taste very good. Or be good in general. She was hungry, but not desperate enough to eat moldy bread that was found laying around.

To her luck, there was some firewood available to heat the iron furnace/stove in the kitchen. With some careful rummaging, she found some matches. Taking a mental note of the two items, she looked some more. The house was fairly bare for the most part. A simple rocking chair was in the kitchen, and the beds in the two rooms seemed in decent condition. The bathroom was surprisingly clean as well, considering she played the scary image of millions of rats or spiders crawling out of this room as she opened the door. Even inside was a large washtub used for cleaning clothes. That gave her an idea.

With some effort, she lugged the washtub outside. She quickly filled the washtub with as much snow as possible. Now lugging the heavier, snow-filled washtub inside, she placed firewood inside the stove. With a strike of the match (she silently thanked that she wouldn't be dealing with stupid flint again), the stove began to start up. Although it took a while, the snow was reduced to steaming water that filled half the washtub. With a quick dip with her right index finger, she found the water soothing. She took off her boots and placed her feet inside the water while she sat in the rocking chair.. Although at first it was almost unbearably hot for her freezing feet, she began to relax as she got used to the water.

"Man... finally..." Erica sighed bubbly as the water soothed her frozen feet. She was beginning to feel her toes again.

Outside, she witnessed the snowstorm raging. She felt the snow pattering along the window accompanied with the howling wind. She hoped the the house could hold against the raging snowstorm.

Erica quietly sat. She was alone, inside a dimly-lit kitchen sitting on a old, wooden rocking chair. Not in her room back in St. Trond with the possible company of her squadron. She looked outside once more at the raging snowstorm before sighing to herself.

'_I wonder how everyone's doing back at base..._' Erica thought. She shifted her feet around in the warm water. She could see her reflection. Her face was sad. Gloomy even.

Her stomach grumbled. However, there was no dinner awaiting her. No warm room and bed for her to sleep in. And no one around to talk to. She was on her own from this point on. This fact scared her. To know any friends she had were miles away and that there was a very slim chance to get back home made her frightened.

Despite these thoughts, she didn't want to give up. She also thought about the impact on the squad if they came to face her death. Trude almost lost her life in Brittainia if not for Miyafuji's quick actions. And Major Sakamoto had almost died on two separate occasions. Yet, no one has been lost this entire war. The 501st remained strong and close like a family. She couldn't imagine how the entire squadron would feel.

Even with Trude and Minna. The three had been together in this war since the evacuation of Karlsland. How would they react? Trude has been her closest friend and wingman. Minna too is very close.

'_No... I won't die. For them._' Erica thought with determination. She clenched her fist tightly. Looking outside once more, she held a goal in her hands.

She wasn't going to let her friends down.

* * *

"... and, in the morning, I just made my way out to find my way back. Looking back on it, I should've searched for warmer clothes. I was so cold and hungry that I just collapsed. I felt that I failed them. It was by pure luck that you guys found me." Erica said. She held in her hands a metal cup of instant coffee while an opened box of rations was laid out in front of her. The entire squad of infantry was sitting around her, listening to her story as they ate their rations this early in the morning.

"Wow... that's one hell of a story..." Danny said. Most of the 45th could agree to that.

"I will admit that you are one determined witch, but that was pretty reckless of you to just make your way towards the front in this snowstorm." Hathcock said between sips of his coffee. Erica just shrugged sheepishly before looking at her rations. She couldn't remember the last time she ate rations before, but she wasn't all to picky at the moment considering her circumstances.

With quickness, she began eating her rations (which she found out to be ham and eggs) and drinking her coffee. Everyone was amused to how energetic Erica was to eat her rations. Then again, you couldn't blame her after what she's been through.

"I'm glad to finally have actual food now..." Erica said with a content smile. Her rations were already gone, now left with an empty tin box and cup. Everyone laughed a bit.

"Ma'am, if you thought rubbery ham and cold eggs were good, you have to try Audrey's cooking." Danny said while elbowing the Faraway Land witch. Audrey just sheepishly smiled in embarrassment.

"Heh, I can make a mean Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich." Audrey embarrassingly admitted.

"Don't forget about your Lumberjack's Breakfast!" Danny added.

"Oh! And Poutine!" Jackie added enthusiastically.

"Poutine..." Audrey answered in an entranced, blissful manner. To the amusement of the squad, Audrey was beginning to drool at the image of tasty fries covered in gravy and cheese curds.

"Woah there, Audrey." Danny laughed. Everyone was laughing as Audrey came back to reality, having a bit of blush on her face. Erica liked the closeness of this squad of soldiers. However, there was one question that was bugging her.

"Erm, may I ask a question?" Erica asked. Everyone became silent after their little laugh.

"Sure ma'am." Audrey said.

"Well... you guys are witches?"

"Well, besides the Cap and Lieutenant, we all are witches." Danny answered.

"Okay... but you all are wearing regular infantry uniforms." Erica gave off a confused look.

"W-Well, you see oberstleutnant," Fran began. "we're a specialized infantry witches."

"Huh? Specialized Infantry Witches?" Erica asked. She knew about mechanized air infantry witches (such as herself) and the mechanized ground infantry witches. But this new type of witch was news to her.

"Y-Yes ma'am! We're... erm... special forces of sorts. We are tasked to do undercover missions, such as reconnaissance or sabotage. All trained from the special forces of each of our respective countries." Fran said.

"Yup. We're fairly new compared to the other witch divisions, but we can do our job well." Audrey added.

"Hell yeah! After all, we're the War Hounds!" Jackie said with pride.

"War Hounds?" Erica asked.

"That's us, ma'am." Hathcock said. "45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad, or as we like to be known as, The War Hounds."

Erica looked around at the faces of everyone in the squad. Everyone held up their title as an Infantry witch with pride. Upon closer look, she even could see the insignia they all wore: A snarling wolf with a witch broom in the background with the words 45th Joint Recon Squad. These soldiers loved their job, just like how she loved being a Strike Witch. Erica couldn't help but smile before addressing to everyone around her.

"Well, War Hounds, thanks for rescuing me." Erica said happily.

"Don't thank us yet, ma'am." Captain Spiers said. "Thank us once we get you back home. That's our objective, after all."

Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. The rays were shining through the tall pines, making the snow shine.

"Looks like it's already morning..." Wilma said.

"Time flies pretty fast." Jane added.

"Well, ladies," Captain Spiers said. "Looks like morning's here. Everyone, get your gear packed and ready. We're heading back home." The 45th smiled contently. Time to get back to work.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Gertrude Barkhorn sat on her bed quietly. It was already five days since Erica went missing in the Karlsland forest. Everyone in the 501st was feeling the effects of one of their own now being gone. No one expected it. Erica was a top ace, after all. For her to now be missing in battle was a shock to everyone since the day it happened.

The Karlsland witch took it the hardest. Erica was her wingman, after all. She was her friend too. Despite their differences in personality, the two worked well together. Along with Minna, they were paired up since the invasion and evacuation of Karlsland, the fighting in Brittainia, the battles in Romagna and Venezia, and now in St. Trond. And now she was gone.

Trude looked at Erica's messy bedside. She remembered the last words she said to the blonde witch before they departed to their mission. It was another of her lectures on her laziness and her lack of organization (which has happened consistently since the two met). Looking back, she wished she said something else. She wished she was able to shoot those neuroi down earlier, or catch up to Hartmann before she sped off. Now, all that remained of her wingman was her empty bed and her belongings.

A knock on the door snapped Trude back to reality. Yet, she still sat in silence as the knocking continued. Finally, a voice spoke up.

"Trude, it's me, Minna. I'm going to come in." Trude just sat there as the door opened slowly for Minna to enter.

"Trude, you should exit you room and eat with everyone. You've been in your room since Erica..." Minna didn't finish the sentence, wanting to not bring more guilt on Barkhorn and sabotage her attempts to get the Karlsland witch out of her room.

"Look... I think you should get some fresh air." Minna tried to reassure Trude, but she silently sat on her bed. Minna just sighed in defeat before making for the door. Before she could grasp the door handle, Trude spoke out.

"Is... there any news about her?" Trude spoke in a low, monotone voice. It pained Minna to see her like this.

"So far... nothing yet. I only received confirmation that the rescue squad has landed in the forest." Minna said quietly. Trude clenched her bed sheet tightly.

"It's my fault... maybe if I shot those neuroi faster, Erica wouldn't-"

"That's enough of that!" Minna yelled. Trude didn't flinch at Minna's sudden order, only to still grip the bed sheet tightly.

"Trude, stop saying that to yourself! If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. It was my order to retreat back to safety." Minna said in a softer tone. Trude continued to remain silent, which worried Minna. She was like this when her sister Chris was injured and placed into a coma way back. Minna remembered Trude's silent and guilt-ridden face the days after Chris was injured. Only now, it was with Hartmann being missing in action.

Minna decided to leave Trude in peace, making her way out of the room. However, she wanted to say one final thing.

"Trude... please come out of your room. Everyone wants to see you well. I do too. We all believe Erica's going to be fine. Just promise us that you will come out of your room?"

Minna watched Trude hesitantly give a silent nod, remaining on her bed. Minna felt happy that she at least made some effort to comfort Trude. Once again, Trude was left alone as Minna slowly closed the door.

Trude watched the world outside her window. Somewhere, out there, was her wingman. She could only wish for her safety. Hoping that she was still out there.

'_Hartmann..._'

* * *

**Finally done! Yay!**

***cough cough***

**Erm... I think I am better...**

**Anyways, let's go over some background info:**

Neuroi Flak and supersonic fighters:

_As the war progressed and the neuroi further began to be pushed closer and closer to their hives, the neuroi began to change their attacks slightly. As conventional miasma beams were easy to predict by witch forces in the air, the neuroi began to mimic some of the tactics of the Allies. One of which included the presence of neuroi flak, consisting of supercharged rounds of miasma that exploded at select altitudes, shooting out shards of red shrapnel in a cloud of red. The unpredictability of this method of attack proved difficult for most witches, who were used to conventional beams of miasma that only came at a single direction. However, neuroi flak is only found in certain areas that used to have human flak cannons (now re-neurified upon their capture). Furthermore, regular neuroi cannot recreate neuroi flak, sticking with regular miasma beams that supercharged miasma flak rounds._

_Furthermore, new cases of neuroi began to appear. These neuroi mimicked the fast speeds of jets and jet strikers of the Allied forces, using similar tactics (and coincidentally, appearances) as well. These jet-neuroi were often used against bomber formations and bomber witches, using boom-n-zoom tactics to fight and evade witches. These new types of neuroi proved deadly, yet only few have been encountered. _

(These neuroi have a morphed appearance similar to the Ho-229 and the Mig-15.)

Joint Reconnaissance Squads:

_With Project Second Chance came the birth of three Joint Reconnaissance Squads: The 45th JRS "War Hounds" stationed in Europe (currently in Gallia), the 23rd JRS "Desert Foxes" stationed in Africa (currently in Tobruk), and the 52nd Saboteur Corps "Roaring Bears" stationed in Orussia (currently in the operational field of St. Petersburg). However, many concerns (and opposition) came up with the development of these special witch infantry force._

_One big concern came about the regulations concerning interaction between regular infantry/personnel and witches. With the formation of co-infantry-witch squads, it would violate such rule that high-ranking witches and top generals had. This rule was eventually disregarded in favor for the new development of the Special Operations Infantry Witch (which was something some top-ranking officials didn't favor). Soldiers picked to fight alongside these witches were to be trusted, experienced veterans on the battlefield (something that put top-witch officers and pro-witch sympathizers at ease, knowing there was not going to be any case of mishaps between the soldiers and witches) However came another pressing issue: uniforms._

_As witches in the armed forces are typically half-dressed, wearing only their undergarments below the waist, it also proved concern and speculation. Since the new special-infantry witches were not going to be using strikers, there was debate on whether these witches had, or even can, wear only underwear from the waist down in the presence of their fellow male soldiers. After some reconsideration, the project decided to equip their new witch recruits with full standard-issue infantry military uniforms that came from their respective countries. This helped ease the situation on pants-less witches fighting with their male soldiers on the battlefield. But the question remained: how will the new witches of Project Second Chance see this rule on uniforms?_

_Surprisingly, the witches that were recruited into the program didn't hesitate to don the similar uniforms of their fellow male infantrymen, including pants. Most welcomed the idea, feeling that it would be embarrassing to be "bare-bottomed in front of their commanding officers on the battlefield" and how uncomfortable it would be "to sit and fight in mud, sand, or snow in only your panties" as one infantry witch put it. However, there is some freedom on the uniforms amongst some of the infantry witches. An example comes from some of the witches of the 23rd JRS, where some of the witches wear knee-length skirts to combat the hot temperatures in Africa, giving them some breathing space from the regular standard-issue uniform pants._

_Alongside, the infantry witches use standard weapons in the battlefield, which the primary weapon of most infantry witches are either submachine guns or rifles compared to the heavy machine guns or cannons that mechanized air and ground witches use. However, some witches vary and expand their arsenal of weapons they fight with. Some use heavy machine guns, such as the .50 caliber machine gun that Sergeant Vlug uses. Others are equipped with explosives, rocket launchers, and grenades. There have been some cases of infantry witches using melee weapons such as swords, which Sergeant Churchill uses._

**Now done with my background info. How you like them, as I enjoy expanding my part of the SW universe with these little bits of information.**

**Furthermore, I would like to give a shoutout to Roberta Morgan for allowing me to use her OC's in my story as part of a little cameo to her. Those OC's rightfully belong to her. If you like the idea of bomber witches, check out her story at this link:**

s/10784863/1/Bomber-Witches-Queens-Of-The-Sky

**Believe me, it's really good!**

Jackie: Is it?

**Yes, it is. You don't trust me?**

Jackie: Nah, I do.

**I also like many others. Do you know AusFlyer and her adventures with the Sumous Misfit squad?**

Jackie: Oh, yeah! That Rebecca girl has some spunk. And she has cannons! I want cannons!

**Eh... we'll see, Jackie.**

Jackie: Fine... at least I could hold my drink. I guess that's enough for me.

Audrey: Erm... Jackie, the last time you drank amongst us, you became drunk after two glasses. Also, shoutout to Miss Beurling! Farawayland strong!

Jackie: Audrey! Don't say that!

**Huh? Oh, hello Audrey. And... Erica?**

Erica: I am here! Miss me, Ash?

**I... guess? Still sick, mind you. And Audrey, Beurling is from Ostmark.**

Audrey: Well, she did train there. So it is close enough.

**I... guess... ;-_-**

Erica: Ash, guess what day it is?

**Um... April 19?**

Erica: Anything else?

**Uh...I'm not sure to be exact...**

Erica: Aw, how could you forget...

**Just kidding. I know it's you're birthday. And I did get you a gift.**

Erica: Really?!

Audrey: I didn't know it was your birthday, Ma'am. Happy Birthday!

Jackie: Agreed. Happy Birthday, luv!

Erica: Hehe... thanks. Anyways, waddya get me, Ash?

**I got you a bag of chocolate and ice cream. Sorry I couldn't get you anything better...**

Erica: It's fine. I love it! I love sweets!

Audrey: Huh... Mint Chocolate Chip? I never seen that flavor before in Liberion of Faraway Land.

**Oh, erm... let's say it is an experimental flavor...**

Erica: Awesome! I get to try out a brand new flavor!

**You have no idea... Also, confirm with Ursula that she got my birthday gift as well.**

Erica: You got it!

**Anyways, we'll...**

Erica: ...See...

Audrey: ...You...

Jackie: ...Next time! Cheers!

**... what just happened? ._.**


	5. Chapter 5: Battle of Remagen

**Hello peeps. I am back after a long-due chapter. **

**I'll skip to reviews and the story, then explain my absence at the end. I made this chapter long, so I hope it makes up for it!**

**_Motown Scrapper_: Yup, Hartmann seems to be in safe hands! And I'll tell the 45th to be on the lookout for any very young witches too!**

**_HistoryAnonymous_: So much info. Who knew about the failures of airborne before from all countries. Also, my characters, Captain Spiers and Lieutenant Hathcock, participated in Operation Market Garden in the SW Universe. However, I made the operational theater in the outskirts of Gallia instead of borders of Karlsland (Germany) like the real-world operation did. It was still a military failure, but not at the expenses compared to real-world. I might go over it as a backstory for our two non-witch airborne troopers.**

**_Danger Close_: Yeah, Hartmann's story... ;-;. Don't worry! She's in safe hands with the 45th! As for the other Joint Recon Squads (aka other Infantry Witches)... well... you'll see ;)**

**_Gamerman22_: We'll see in this chapter. And thanks for the "get well soon"! I feel a lot better (although it did cause me problems before).**

**_RoguePizza_: Thanks! I gladly appreciate it! (I'll explain more on my absence later at the end).**

**Well, that's reviews! Let's get-**

Jackie: WHERE THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU!

**...started...**

**...**

**Um, Jackie... I can expla- ACK! OW! STOP PUNCHING ME!**

Jackie: YOU LITTLE BLOODY WANKIN' YANK!

**AHHH! WAIT, NO-!**

* * *

_Chapter 5: The Battle of Remagen_

* * *

Audrey continued her march alongside Captain Spiers. Her familiar ears and tail stuck out with her magical antennae, flopping around with every step. She casted glances around the winter forest around her. Again, it was an eerie silence as they walked along the trail.

Captain Spiers maintained the squad along this snow-covered road. For most of their trek, they have covered a great amount of distance towards the Allied front. Hartmann was still relatively weak despite being healed, so the blonde witch was carried by Jackie. The squad had been marching for hours. Everyone was alert for the unexpected, especially for the neuroi.

Which they never came.

"Sir, this is really weird." Audrey said as she slowly scanned with her rifle. "I haven't sighted or detected any neuroi so far."

"How long have we been marching? Eight hours? And not a single neuroi?" Danny said in a tired tone.

It was true. Eight whole hours of marching through the Karlsland forest since 0600. Of course, the squad was well prepared for the trek. After all, that's what infantry do, let alone infantry witches. March here, then march there, with the occasional short break. Going on foot has been the normal routine for these infantry witches. However, they (mostly Jackie) could tell that Hartmann was getting a bit antsy from the long voyage back home, having to ride atop for a whole eight hours. Most of which was in silence.

"I'm surprised how you guys could deal with this..." Erica mumbled, gazing at the boring scenery around her. She would be happy to no longer see a snow-covered pine after all this was over.

"Well, you get used to it." Danny said.

"Besides," Captain Spiers said as he gazed at his map. "We should be able to reach the Allied front lines by nightfall at this rate. After we pass the Rhine, we're home free."

Due to the smart thinking on Captain Spiers's part, the path they took would lead them to friendly lines by nightfall, quicker than trudging through the thick snow in the forest. The route Spiers planned out was also deemed the safest out of the other possible routes while maintaining visual on possible neuroi positions. Which, as said before, were not there.

While Erica grumbled silently to herself, everyone else remained quiet. Audrey could see the clouds of breath that escaped her mouth and into the cold air. The tip of her nose was numb from the cold, but she shook it off as she focused on the task at hand. Until she began to pick up on something.

"Captain! I'm getting a radio transmission!" That stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Transmission?" Speirs asked. "Cosens, you sure about that?" They still were nowhere near the Allied front.

"Definitely, sir. Want me to patch it through to the hand radio?" Everyone turned to Captain Spiers. He thought about it for a moment.

"Alright... patch it through." Spiers pulled out the boxy SCR-536. He tuned it up before facing Audrey. Spiers gave a nod, which Audrey nodded back.

"Alright, I'm amplifying the signal and patching it through." Audrey said. Everyone made their way to the side of the trail and huddled around the radio. Spiers listened closely. At first, it was mumbled static and frequency noise. Finally, Speirs picked up on a radio transmission.

"*_This is Combat Command Alpha. Op-_***static***_-Lumberjack is a go. I repeat, Operation Lumberjack is a go. All units, proceed to directed routes. We're crossing the Rhine._*"

"Sir, what is it?" Jane asked.

"Operation Lumberjack is underway." Speirs said. Everyone looked to each other with surprised looks.

"Um... what is happening?" Erica asked. Considering that she had been on her own for the past five day, along with never really paying close attention to mission details before, she had no clue what was going on.

"Operation Lumberjack. The Allied push into Karlsland and across the Rhine. This should be the first step in taking back Karlsland." Captain Spiers explained. Erica caught on, surprised with the new set of information.

"Taking back Karlsland..." Erica said to herself.

"One thing that is troubling me is how early it has begun." Spiers added. "Command said that the operation was to begin after we came back."

"That," Hathcock said. "and we're supposed to weaken the neuroi defenses. Which there seems to be none of."

"And to think I was going to fight some neuroi..." Jackie said in a disgruntled manner.

"I don't like it." Jane said. "No neuroi except for a few drones. Lack of neuroi presence for miles. This seems too easy. It's like the neuroi are begging us to cross into Karlsland."

"I agree with you, Hill. But our main objective is to get Lieutenant Hartmann back. That should be our only focus right now." Speirs said. Everyone just looked at each other before giving off some shrugs. He was right. Their main objective was to get Erica back safely, not investigate for any possible neuroi traps.

"Alright let's get a move on. If we're lucky, we'll come across some friendlies on the way back." Speirs said. Everyone agreed. However, Audrey still had a nagging feeling as she stood back up and continued the march.

Something was way off.

* * *

Minna placed the phone down calmly. Sakamoto sat in the chair in her office as she patiently waited for Minna's response.

"So?" Sakamoto asked.

"It's true." Minna said. "The operation is underway. The Liberion 1st Army and Karlsland 7th Army are proceeding with Operation Lumberjack and making their way towards the Rhine. They've requested us to provide air cover for the units as they cross the river."

"I see..." Sakamoto said. "And any news on the search?"

Minna just shook her head.

"So far... nothing." Sakamoto could only sighed deeply before refocusing on the task at hand.

"Well, we should get started with the briefing."

"Mio." Minna said in a pondering tone. Sakamoto stood up as she began her response to the commanding witch.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking... mostly on Captain Barkhorn's condition."

"You're wondering if you should include her in this operation, I presume." Minna nodded at the Fuso witch's response.

"Yes. Everyone's still saddened by Erica's status, but Barkhorn has taken it the hardest. You remember what happened in Brittainia? She recklessly acted because of her sister's condition and almost got herself killed. She's acting the same way as before, if not worse. I'm just worried she might act like that once more if she does go out with us." Minna took a deep breath before continuing.

"However, command wants every available witch in the air for this offensive to enter Karlsland. I believe so too. We need everyone for this operation."

Sakamoto just kept herself in thought before giving a response.

"Do you want me to tell you my opinion?"

"You are second in command and my friend, so I trust on what you have to say." Minna said. Sakamoto gave a sigh before deciding to answer.

"Honestly, I believe you should ask the captain herself on whether she wants to be a part of this mission or not. I personally believe it's her choice." Sakamoto began to walk towards the door. Opening it, she paused for a moment before looking at her colleague.

"Talk to Barkhorn about it. I'll get everyone else together for the briefing." Minna nodded before Sakamoto walked out of her office.

Minna decided to sit in her chair and ponder on the Major's words. The only fear she had about talking to Barkhorn was that she would agree to partake in the mission. Deep down, she wanted to keep her grounded, but she knew that the Karlsland Captain would want to be a part of this. This was the first step in re-taking Karlsland. It was the reminders of Brittainia that worried Minna. If not for Miyafuji, Barkhorn could have died. She didn't want a repeat of that.

Minna looked outside of her office window. The skies were clear, with only little bundles of clouds dotting the blue horizon. She stared in the direction of Karlsland. Somewhere there, she could only hope that Hartmann was safe. She kept those thoughts since the day Erica went missing. But each passing day without any news made the chances go down little by little. Even with the efforts of the rescue team, there is only so much that a regular commando squad can do.

Not wanting to dwell more on the subject, Minna decided to walk over to Barkhorn's room. The mission was about to start.

* * *

'_Ninety eight... ninety nine... one hundred... one hundred and one... one hundred and two..._' Barkhorn thought as she continued to do pushups. It kept her in shape, which is a "must" for a soldier. But most importantly, it kept her mind clear from any worry.

It's been six days since Erica went missing into the Karlsland forest. Besides the news of the rescue team landing to search for her, there was nothing else about the search and rescue mission. And from those past six days, she had to look at an empty bedside in her room, still messy with heaps of clothes and items strewn all over. Only now, it was missing its owner.

_Knock Knock_

"Come... in..." Trude said between push ups. In the corner of her eye, she could see Minna step inside.

"Trude?" Minna asked. It was different to see Trude now active despite how she was acting yesterday.

"If you're wondering what I am doing, I'm preparing for the mission." Trude said directly, not stopping her exercise routine to properly answer. It caught Minna off guard even more.

"Mission? How did you-"

"I overheard you and the major discussing about it."

As Trude continued her pushups, Minna just decided to lean against the wall. She didn't know how to interpret the sudden change in Barkhorn's attitude.

"Trude, I want to ask you this: Do you really want to be part of this mission?"

"If you're asking if I am able to fly, I can."

"Well, yes... but..."

"If you're worried about me doing something reckless, I won't. Just let me fly in this mission, Minna."

Minna just stood there in silence while Trude confronted the Wing Commander. Minna just let those words sink in.

"Just saying that makes me worry even more." Minna said. "But, I trust your decision. Meet up in five minutes for the briefing." Minna did one glance back at the room before walking out, leaving Trude alone once more.

Straightening her coat, Trude looked around the room, eyeing a particular item. It was a picture. It displayed the time where she received that dress, which both Major Schnaufer and her wore. Both her, Erica, Minna, and Major Schnaufer were in the picture, with St. Trond in the background. Although a bit embarrassing, it was a picture full of memories. Ones that she wouldn't forget. Trude walked out of her room and towards the briefing room, now with a different attitude than before.

'_Erica... this is for you..._'

Determination filled her. Time to pay back the neuroi.

* * *

Deep underground, it could feel the slight vibrations of the earth moving. Shaking. Rumbling. The vibrations echoed throughout its body.

_It must be time to awaken._

With a slow rumbling, it awoke from it's dormant stage, ready to defend the hive. It slowly made it's way to the surface with a rumble.

_Time to destroy the humans. They shall not cross the Rhine._

* * *

Audrey continued to march along the dirt road alongside Fran. Everyone was making double time to hopefully meet the closest Allied force. Erica just hung onto Jackie for the time, although wanted to run alongside the reconnaissance squad before her boredom got to her.

"Sir, how much farther?" Fran asked.

"According to the radio, the 9th Armored is the closest Allied unit. They said that they are almost to the town of Remagen, three miles from our position. We'll see if we can catch them at the town and get an escort back for Lieutenant Hartmann." Spiers said.

"We might be in the home stretch..." Hathcock said aloud. The feeling of victory was in the air, yet there were some doubts.

"Has there been any contact with neuroi from any of the units?" Jane asked, still having doubt about their relatively easy victory.

"None of the units have found any neuroi." Speirs replied. Jane kept a face of doubt and concern.

"This isn't like the neuroi... they would have done something by now..." Jane muttered with suspicion. It was a that moment when the earth shook.

"Honestly Jane, you're gonna jinx us with your negative attitude." Danny replied.

"Any you honestly think that the neuroi would just let us roll into Karlsland without any resistance?"

"Maybe... who knows. Maybe they finally figured out that we're too good." Danny joked in a carefree attitude. It irked Jane, but before she could reply, the earth around them started shaking.

"What the-" Jane could only say those two words before the earth before her and Jackie exploded in a flurry of dust and debris.

Before them, a neuroi Turtle crawled out of it's hole, looming over the two (three, considering Erica atop of Jackie's back) witches. All of them surprised. That is when the neuroi gave off a death screech.

"Where the hell did that bastard come from?!" Hathcock yelled.

The tank-like neuroi gave another screech as it tried to stomp on both Jackie and Jane. The two dodged the insect-like appendage of the neuroi as it left a sizable crater on the ground. Everyone then opened fire upon the neuroi. While normal soldiers wouldn't faze the massive alien, the magic of the witches made their weapons far more powerful than ever, turning the neuroi turtle into Swiss cheese before it could even fire off a shot of miasma. Erica, in the midst of everything, could watch at the effective teamwork of the "War Hounds".

'_Wow... these guys are the real deal..._'

While the 45th saw their foe reduced to little flakes and saw through with their small victory, the earth rumbled once more. The ground shook with ferocity as more and more neuroi turtles came up from the ground. Everyone could only watch in horror at the amount of neuroi turtles that appeared out of nowhere, coming out from the forest around them and moving towards the Rhine.

"Jane, I think you jinxed us." Danny said.

"Shut up! It wasn't my fault!" Jane rebutted.

The neuroi slowly marched, screeching with accordance with each other like a pack of hunters communicating their hunting tactics.

"Holy shit... it's like every single neuroi in Europe decided to appear..." Hathcock said with surprise.

"So many..." Wilma said, unable to count the number of neuroi. Audrey's mind was racing, now feeling the presence of multiple neuroi appearing from her antennae. How did she miss all of them?

"At this rate, the entire Allied front would be wiped out." Fran said in fear. Four more neuroi turtles crawled out of the ground along the road. All catching sight of the squad of infantry witches and airborne (and Erica). They screeched menacingly. They seemed to be mad. Really mad.

"Contact!" Spiers screamed. Everyone got into cover and firing positions. They began to fire upon the neuroi in front of them. The neuroi retaliated, firing beams of red miasma at their attackers. The lasers slammed violently into the shields of Danny, Fran, and Wilma in the front of the pack. From the forest, some neuroi turtles took notice of the firefight and decided to join, wanting to get a piece of the action.

"More turtles to our three o'clock!" Hathcock said. Both him and Jane took marksman positions and began to lay fire into the tree line. Two neuroi exploded in a dazzling display, only to be replaced by three more. Along the road, the four neuroi were reduced to one, yet more appear from the forest to take their place. Miasma slams into the shields of the witches, taking the brunt of the powerful attacks.

"If we don't get outta here, we'll be cooked!" Spiers said between shots of his carbine. "Lieutenant Hartmann, can you walk?" The blonde witch nodded.

"I'm a witch after all!" Erica cheered with vigor. Spiers then handed his Thompson to her.

"Alright, take this and make sure to keep up. Yell if you need rounds." He then faced the rest of his squad, busy with combatting the neuroi. "Everyone, let's punch through and get outta dodge!"

"Been waiting for that, sir!" Danny yelled amidst the roar of the M2 Browning. She looked to both Jackie and Fran with a nod. The two nodded back, with Jackie giving off a devilish grin.

"Displacing!"

The three witches got out of cover and charged the neuroi turtles in front of them, now numbering to six. Both Danny and Fran fired their guns as they ran, propping up their shields when lasers came to greet them. Jackie holstered her Sten and pulled out her Broadsword. She sped off from the two and lunged at the closest neuroi with a mighty yell. The sword glowed red as if fresh from the forge. With a mighty sweep, Jackie sliced the neuroi turtle in half before it exploded into crystalline shards. Behind her, Danny and Fran lunged at their neuroi targets, pumping it with fresh lead. The neuroi were decimated. A third one approached Danny, but the fiery Liberion witch wasn't fazed.

"C'mere!" She yelled. With a powerful roundhouse kick, accompanied by her magical abilities, she sent the turtle flying. It slammed into another turtle, with both being destroyed as they impacted each other. The last neuroi turtle in front of them was quickly dealt with by a wall of lead by the three witches, exploding (literally; it's amazing what magical incendiary bullets can do in the hands of a witch).

"We've got an opening!" Fran yelled back. The rest of the 45th (and a surprised Erica) quickly made their way to regroup.

"Mighty fine fighting, you three!" Spiers said.

"You guys were so cool!" Erica cheered. Fran could only blush from the compliment.

"E-Erm... thanks, ma'am..." Fran said.

"No time to chat! We still got to fight our way back!" Hathcock said. Sure enough, more turtles were appearing from the forest to confront them.

"Looks like they're here to greet us." Danny smirked.

"Let's just make quick work of them." Jane said with determination.

Audrey looked at the number of neuroi before her. This was going to be one hell of a fight.

* * *

"Tonnerre!"

With a quick flash of lightning, fifteen neuroi drones were disintegrated, leaving Perrine with her now-frizzled hair.

"Wow Perrine!" Lynne said. Both her and Yoshika flew next to the Gallian witch.

"Thanks..." Perrine said while straightening her hair. She figured that her hair would get used to this by now.

A hole was punched through the clouds below them as a certain Liberion witch and her Romagnan friend flew in a fast blur, tailed by thirty or so neuroi. Shirley and Francesca arced back down into a dive, with Shirley racing down.

"Hello!" Shirley taunted at the drones. She flew past at an incredible speed, causing the drones to spin in a daze from the rush of wind behind her. Francesca tailed behind, decimating the already-confused neuroi. Within minutes, the force of thirty neuroi drones were reduced to glittering confetti.

"And goodbye!" Francesca cheered, now looking at the remains of the neuroi drift in the wind. The two then flew next to Lynne, Perrine, and Yoshika.

"You guys taken care of your share of the neuroi?" Shirley asked. The three nodded. Over in the distance, they all could see the rest of the 501st fighting more drones. However, one particular witch stood out from the rest.

"Wait... what is Barkhorn doing?" Shirley questioned.

Everyone watched the Karlsland captain's actions. She bobbed and weaved through the neuroi drones with ferocity, taking out any drones that opposed her. While her combat expertise was on point, her flying style wasn't. The five noticed how more eccentric and careless Barkhorn was. In fact, at one point of the battle they witnessed, she almost collided into Sanya and Eila (which a rather mad Eila and equally mad Minna was yelling back). Nonetheless, she efficiently destroyed the drones she faced. All five watched as Barkhorn chased down two more drones, effectively shredding them into dust. All the while, another drone tailed her. With a swift movement, she turned to fire upon the alien foe with her right MG151. Only to watch as it failed to fire.

"Her gun's jammed!" Perrine exclaimed.

They watched Barkhorn have a surprised look on her face before returning to a more determined mindset. She dodged the beam of miasma that was directed towards her before speeding towards the drone. With a mighty yell and a swing, the butt of her gun smashed into the drone, destroying the neuroi. And one of her MG 151's.

Trude inspected her now-damaged gun. The butt of the gun was cracked, along with a the muzzle (which she used as a handle for a club) was slightly bent. She tossed the gun aside and held her sole MG 151 in both of her hands. The rest of the 501st regrouped with her.

"Captain Barkhorn, what were you thinking?!" Minna fumed. Trude didn't respond to the angry wing commander.

"I'm beginning to regret letting you join this mission... One more of those, and I'm forcing you to return to base. Got it?"

"Understood." Trude said. Everyone could tell how detached Trude was when she spoke. Even Minna was beginning to worry.

"Captain Barkhorn! Your hand!" Yoshika said.

Trude looked at her right hand. She noticed a slight searing pain. She could see the slight burn mark engraved into it, most likely from gripping the hot barrel of her machine gun. It stung, but she didn't care. She decided to ignore her stinging right hand, more focused on the mission.

"Here, let me heal it." Yoshika offered.

"I'm fine, Miyafuji." Trude said rather brusquely.

"But-"

"I said I'm fine." Trude's tone turned more direct and serious. Perhaps harsh and cold, even. Yoshika froze before solemnly nodding, leaving the Karlsland captain alone. Trude began to fly ahead of the pack, leaving the rest of the squad behind.

"Captain Barkhorn..." Yoshika murmured with a sad tone.

"She must be still affected from Erica disappearance..." Lynne added.

"It isn't the same without Hartmann... doesn't feel right..." Shirley commented.

"I heard that a rescue mission was placed to find her, but still..." Perrine just could only ponder on the chances of whether Erica could be found. Both Sanya and Eila flew next to the five.

"I feel bad for Captain Barkhorn..." Sanya said.

"Although she almost hit both of us, I do feel bad about Hartmann's disappearance affecting her." Eila added. "Still, I wish she wouldn't get reckless at a time like this..."

"Eila, can't you predict the future? Maybe it might say something about Lieutenant Hartmann." Yoshika suggested.

"I've been trying, but I can only look in up to a point." Eila pointed out. "Everything has come up as hazy. As much as I hate to say it, we can only hope she's safe."

While the air was relatively peaceful at the moment, the ground far below wasn't. They all could see explosions echo through the forest as the 1st Liberion Army and 7th Karlsland Army did battle against the sudden appearance of neuroi. The loud booms of cannons and occasional screeches of neuroi filled the air. With all this going on, they all weren't sure about Erica's whereabouts and status.

"Wait... I'm getting something..." Sanya said. Her magical antennae were out, glowing bright green.

"What is it?" Yoshika asked.

"A... radio transmission..." Sanya then faced Minna.

"Commander, do you want me to patch the radio transmission through?" Minna contemplated before nodding. Sanya worked to bring the transmission in. Everyone then heard a crackle of the radio.

"*_This is the 9th Armored! We request any and all support! We are facing heavy fire at the town of Remagen! I repeat, we need any and all support!_*" The sounds of heavy gunfire, cannons, and the neuroi could be heard in the background.

"*_I say again, this is 9th Armored at the town of Remagen! We need any support possible or this route is going to be FUBAR pretty quick... dammit... Joe's down! Someone get on the fifty now!_*" Minna then decided to interject, patching in through her comms.

"This is Commander Minna of the 501st. We've heard your request and are close to your position. However, we're not exactly equipped for ground attacks. We can redirect other units to your position."

"*_Negative on that, ma'am! We need support now! I'm not in the position to be picky. We got to hold this bridge in Remagen or the entire operation could collapse! If you don't get here quick, my men and witches will be overrun!_*" The sound of heavy gunfire was accompanied by a loud explosion.

"*_Ma'am, we'd really need your help!... Christ... get the ground witches over there and-_***static***_-ld the position! Don't clump the tanks too close, dammit!_"

"Alright, we're coming to assist. Try to hold out for a little longer. Estimated time would be in fifteen minutes." Minna replied back.

"*_Alright ma'am! Just get here quick!_*"

"Okay everyone, we're going to provide some assistance for them!"

With determined nods, the witches of the 501st banked right in a tight formation. Towards the battle at Remagen.

* * *

With another bang, Audrey felt the firm recoil of her M1 carbine hit her shoulder as it fired a shell, slamming into the exposed core of a neuroi turtle. In a flash, the neuroi glowed white before disintegrating into white shards. One out of many neuroi she has killed. And many more to go.

"Don't fall behind! Let's get through!" Captain Spiers ordered. He fired his carbine in rapid succession as he led the charge towards Remagen. Behind him that followed was his squad of six infantry witches, his airborne lieutenant, and his rescued witch.

The group ran past many neuroi turtles, only bothering to attack the ones that were in the way. They all ran fast with the firing of their guns almost pacing the quickness of their steps. Audrey reloaded a fresh magazine into her carbine, making sure to chamber the round as she ran. This wasn't a time to have a gun jammed.

"I'm out!" Erica cried out. She released the empty magazine of her Thompson. Next to her, Lieutenant Hathcock threw another magazine towards her direction. With a swift catch, she jammed the new magazine into her sub-machine gun before firing like the rest.

The neuroi around them were still cumbersome, unable to fully realize that a squad of witches and airborne were running from behind them on foot. Most of the neuroi tried to fire back, only to miss their target or have the witches' shields deflect their attempts. What was common was the roar of shrieks that they gave.

Another neuroi turtle fell, missing one of its legs. It stupidly fumbled without one of its appendages, desperately trying to attack the group that ran past while it regenerated. More turtles were either incapacitated or outright destroyed by the mighty charge through the waves of the alien foe.

"We're almost to the town!" Captain Speirs said with hope.

"I just hope they don't accidentally shoot us! I'd rather not get killed by friendly fire!" Hathcock chimed in.

"Not helping, sir!" Danny replied back, firing her Browning M2.

The group made their way atop a hill, taking out any nearby neuroi. From atop, they saw the town of Remagen below them. It was a sight to see.

Below them, a group of Liberion tanks, tank witches, and infantry fiercely defended the bridge that spanned over the Rhine. The weary soldiers took cover across in the town of Remagen. A cluster of destroyed tanks formed a flimsy barricade against the neuroi force that tried to cross the bridge. The 9th Armored fought with all their might to defend one of possibly few entrances into Karlsland. And the neuroi were having the upper hand. Infantry, Tank witches, and remaining tanks took cover as they destroyed the neuroi, only for more to appear from the forest. Already, the 9th Armored was faltering to continue the momentum to cross the Rhine, especially with the destroyed tanks making the journey across even harder. It seemed like a downhill battle for the Liberion forces.

"This looks bad." Audrey commented.

"We've got to give them some relief, or they'll be wiped out." Spiers said.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go then!" Jackie cheered. As part of her nature, she took off down the hill, charging at the neuroi with Sten and Broadsword in tow.

"Does she always act like that?" Erica commented. She witnessed the spunky Brittainian witch slice a neuroi turtle in one go.

"Y-Yeah..." Jane replied, sweatdropping. Everyone else followed suit, ready to take out the neuroi surrounding Remagen.

The neuroi were slow to react to the new enemy approaching behind them, still focused on the 9th Armored up front. That made them easy targets for the 45th, quickly taking out the neuroi in a rapid flurry of attacks. The neuroi were surprised by this, still divided between attacking the enemy in front of them or defending from the enemy behind them. The ones more surprised were the 9th Armored. The fact that Allied soldiers were coming from the direction of the enemy and swiftly attacking the neuroi in front of them was a big shock. If Audrey wasn't too focused on the couple of neuroi turtles in front of her, she would be laughing at the multitude of dumbfounded faces that the 9th Armored were giving.

The group reached the barricade of broken tanks that the 9th Armored were taking cover behind, leaving a fourth of the neuroi attacking force left. The group slipped into cover, mingling amongst the still-shocked soldiers of the 9th Armored.

"W-Who the hell are you?!" A tank witch said in shock. She still couldn't believe that a squad of infantry and witches came from the direction of the forest and wiped out three-fourths of the neuroi they were defending against.

"We're the 45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad, ma'am." Captain Spiers addressed to the Tank witch. Everyone could see the words 'Fury II' stenciled onto her ground striker unit.

"Joint Recon Squad? I never heard of a group like that."

"We're basically special forces." Spiers replied. The 45th helped defend against the remaining neuroi with the 9th Armored. Two more neuroi turtles were destroyed amongst the flurry of fire.

"Special forces, huh?" Ms. Fury II said. She fired her 76mm cannon at a neuroi turtle, effectively crippling it. It stumbled without a leg before falling off the edge of the bridge and into the Rhine below. A muffled 'ping' was heard as a white flash underwater signaled its death.

"Ma'am, you in charge here?" Speirs asked as he fired his carbine.

"Nah, sir. I'm only in command of my tank witches. Lieutenant Collier is in charge of the 9th Armored here." She looked around to some of her fellow soldiers, who were fighting to keep hold of the bridge. Few more neuroi were coming out of the forest to join in the besiegement of Remagen.

"Any of you know the whereabouts of Lieutenant Collier?" She ordered amongst the roar of guns and cannon fire. A wave of miasma came from the forest, which the witches of the 45th and 9th armored grudgingly deflected. A stray beam sliced through a support beam of the bridge, making an audible, metallic groan from the pressure of the attack.

"I believe he's a bit behind us, trying to establish radio connection with the other units, ma'am!" A Liberion infantryman said amongst the chaos. A sudden explosion erupted in front of the barricade, making everyone wince.

"Bring these guys to him!" She ordered, pointing to Captain Spiers. The Liberion soldier nodded. He cautiously crawled to Captain Spiers, wincing every time a beam of miasma whizzed by.

"Cosens, Lieutenant Hartmann, follow me!" Spiers ordered. "Everyone else, help the 9th Armored hold the line!"

"Yes sir!"

The Liberion airborne, Faraway Land witch, and Karlsland Ace followed the grunt back towards the end of the bridge. Even from the town, lines of tanks were firing to keep their attackers at bay. The soldier led the to one particular tank that had the words 'Fury' stenciled on the barrel. Beside it was a Liberion tank commander barking orders through the radio pack of a radio operator. His unshaven face and slick-backed hair gave a cool, veteran, and authoritative calmness to him. Yet his words displayed ferocity and domination as he yelled into the radio.

"...no, I need the 15th Panzer Division routed over here! I don't give a rat's ass about their designated route! If they don't detour and help us push through Remagen, both our asses and their asses will be wiped out by the amount of neuroi that will cross this bridge if we don't advance!" The Liberion lieutenant looked at the newcomers that the grunt brought before saying a final word to the radio.

"Just get those damn Karlslanders over here!" He yelled before hanging up the radio. He then faced the three with a more "relaxed" demeanor.

"Now I get to talk to the crazy S.O.B.'s that came from the direction of the neuroi." He spoke gruffly. The ambiance of battle was still raging behind them.

"I take it that you are Lieutenant Collier." Spiers replied cooly.

"Yes, Captain," Collier knew of Spiers's captain bars on his helmet. Despite Spiers's higher rank, he continued to speak gruffly. "I am the one and only."

Collier continued to glance at the uniforms of both Spiers, Audrey, and Erica in question.

"I have one thing: what are special forces doing here? Especially with witches among them."

"We're the 45th Join Reconnaissance Squad, a co-force of infantry and infantry witches." Spiers said. "We've been tasked to rescue Lieutenant Hartmann here from behind enemy lines. General Galland's orders."

"Galland, huh?" Collier said, hinting he had heard the name before. Erica was also surprised by the mention of Galland's name.

"Wait, General Galland ordered you guys to rescue me?" Erica said to Audrey.

"Yes, ma'am. Under General Galland's orders." Audrey said with a sense of pride.

"So," Collier continued. "I suspect you need something from me?" Spiers spoke up once more.

"Indeed. We need to get a ride back to Allied lines and transport Lieutenant Hartmann safely. Can you be able to let us commandeer a ride?" Collier frowned at these words.

"I'm afraid I can't now. I need every available vehicle and man here. As you probably heard, this bridge is one of few that crosses over the Rhine. And with how everything's turning out, defending and crossing this bridge is my top priority at the moment." An explosion echoed. At the bridge, a Sherman was smoldering as it's crew desperately bailed out before the entire tank was to be engulfed in flames. Some of the tank witches shielding the crew for them to escape.

"Dammit... if this keeps up, we'll all be wiped out... Bible, Gordo, how much longer till we get this thing moving again?" Collier yelled into his tank. One of the men called, hispanic in appearance, came out from one of the hatches.

"Damn thing is still a mess. Fuckin' engine's been overheated and the loading system is jacked. Ten minutes at least till we get moving again."

"Better make that twenty!" A voice echoed from the tank.

"Christ..." Collier ran his fingers through his hair. "Gordo, tell Norman to keep track with the other tanks and witches. And get this damn thing up again." With a thumbs up, the man named Gordo disappeared into the tank once more. Collier turned back to his guests.

"I hate to be demanding, but I can use some help holding this position till we can push into Karlsland. From what I saw earlier, both you and your witches know how to fight, and then some." The three looked to each other. Spiers was the one that finally spoke.

"If you can manage to get both Lieutenant Hartmann and us a way back to safe lines, then we'll do everything we can."

"You got it, Captain. Do whatever you see fit to help my men and witches at the bridge." With that, Lieutenant Collier went off to order the others of the 9th Armored while the three took it as their cue to return to the 45th at the bridge.

The battle was the same as they left it. The members of the 45th and the multitude of grunts, tanks, and tank witches of the 9th were still fiercely fighting the neuroi that were continuously appearing from the forest. The tank witches and the members of the 45th were up front, providing cover for the more-vulnerable tanks. In the midst of it, Wilma was providing first aid for the many injured soldiers present with the medics of the 9th, both healing and bandaging wounds despite the miasma flying.

"Captain! What's our situation, sir?" Jane asked. She fired her Lee Enfield in rapid succession.

"We're going to defend this position till we can get the 9th moving across the river!" Spiers used his carbine to add to the wave of lead already slamming into the seemingly endless wave of neuroi.

"What?!" Fran yelled. "What about the mission?!" Her StG ripped apart the unfortunate neuroi turtle in front of her. Behind the squad, another tank exploded in a fiery ball of flames and hot steel.

"Scheiße!" Bits of metal rained down onto their position in a shower.

"All vehicles are needed for the defense. If they don't hold this position, the entire front is gone, let alone any chance for us getting back." Spiers explained.

"Alright..." Fran muttered. The commanding ground witch turned to face the airborne captain.

"I appreciate you guys helping, but what we need most is a way across this bridge. Because of these destroyed tanks, our entire armored column is a shooting gallery." Another loud explosion and a neuroi shriek confirmed her statement. With quick thinking, the Liberion airborne captain thought up a plan.

"This is going to be tricky... but I need a defensive column of all the available witches here." He ordered. The tank witch nodded before going off to round up her witches. Spiers then turned to his squad.

"Vlug and Churchill, you still got some strength left?" The two infantry witches nodded.

"Alright, I'll need you two to push all these wrecked tanks steadily forward till we're on the other side. We'll be using the wreckage to minimize our outline and shield ourselves."

"Sounds good, Cap!" Danny cheered.

"Some heavy lifting, eh? You up for the task, yankee?" Jackie smirked.

"I'll show you Liberion strength!" Danny replied with vigor. Fury II brought back six more tank witches along with Lieutenant Collier and his column of tanks and men, including two Pershings, rumbling behind. The witches all formed up a defensive perimeter for the tanks while Lieutenant Collier popped up from his Sherman.

"Captain, my commanding witch told me you had a plan. I trust you got it under control. We're right behind you." He yelled amidst the battle. Spiers nodded before he let his plan into action.

"Alright, I need all the witches to form a row along the wreckage and raise your shields! Vlug and Churchill, you're up!"

The two infantry witches called their familiars once more, glowing a bright blue. The two then placed themselves along the wrecked tanks. The other witches stood behind, propping up their shields like a column of Roman soldiers. Including Erica.

"Lieutenant Hartmann, what are you doing?!" Erica just looked at the Airborne captain in confusion.

"I'm helping. What's the matter?"

"No, you've not fully recovered. I'm not putting you up front and risking your life."

"But I can-"

"No. I'm responsible for you as of now. That's an order. Cosens, I want you to keep a watch on Lieutenant Hartmann." Audrey nodded. Erica tried to form a rebuttal but just sighed in defeat before falling back with the Spiers and Audrey.

"Alright, let's go!" Spiers ordered.

"Push!" Danny yelled.

The two infantry witches glowed blue as they steadily pushed the wrecked tanks with the rest of the 9th followed behind. The magical shields provided cover as neuroi fired upon the crowd crossing the bridge. A stray beam slammed dangerously close to the bridge, erupting a fountain of water while the bridge shook. The tanks fired their volleys back in a firing-line style, unleashing a barrage of their own. The neuroi began to lose their attacking momentum as more and more of them disintegrated into white dust.

"Shit! Goblins up ahead!" An infantryman pointed to a few specks of black in the sky. Audrey could sense ten neuroi drones from above, coming at increasing speed. With a loud screech, a beam of miasma slammed near the bridge, making a loud groaning of metal faltering.

"Halftracks! Line up on those air targets!" Lieutenant Collier roared. Another pass, and the neuroi drones unleashed another volley at the bridge. One beam hit it's mark, striking a support beam that made the foundation shake violently. The anti-air halftracks fired back with ferocity, nailing three of the ten drones. However, they proved to be too quick as the sped off to a safe distance, ready to attack once more.

"Dammit! They're fast!" Collier roared with anger. The momentum to cross the bridge was steady, but Spiers didn't think it was enough.

"Keep pushing forward! Those drones will be coming around for another pass!"

The drones made another arc back as they trained their sights onto the bridge. A hail of machine gun fire from the halftracks only took out another drone before they broke off to evade. Their contrails in the air zoomed around in the sky as they formed up to pounce one more. A volley of beams, and one of the halftracks exploded into a ball of fire. Bits of metal rained down as the neuroi sped off with a jet-like sound. The drones pulled into another arc to attack on the now-defenseless group on the bridge, but then the remarkable happened. One by one, the drones exploded into dust as another group of figures flew by. Witches.

"Hooah! Air cover's here!" A tank witch cheered. The infantry began to cheer as the air witches flew by to circle around the area. With renewed morale, the 9th Armored began to fight even harder, with more turtles crumbling into white dust. Already, both Jackie and Danny made it to the other side, now allowing the 9th to cross into Karlsland territory. The 9th roared with renewed energy as infantry, tanks, and tank witches pushed back the now-retreating neuroi force. Meanwhile, Erica noticed something very familiar about the group of witches flying overhead.

"No way..."

"Ma'am?" Audrey asked.

"It's them!" Erica beamed with happiness. Her heart skipped a beat in joy and relief as she saw the witches circle around from above. Her friends.

"Wait... that's the 501st!" Fran said in surprise.

"No way... the 501st?!" Audrey replied. Everyone knew about the legends of the 501st, from freeing Gallia to Operation Mars. It was just by pure luck that their downed witch for the 45th was a member of the famed fighter wing. Now they were seeing the actual legends up in the sky.

"Hey guys!" Erica ran up to the edge of the bridge and began to wave her hands frantically to catch their attention.

* * *

Trude circled in formation with the rest of the 501st as they flew overhead of the soldiers in distress. She took out a few of the drones that were attacking the bridge, feeling satisfaction as they exploded in a white glow. No doubt, those were the same type that they fought a few days ago. The same type that downed Hartmann. She felt some revenge given for her friend.

She finally came to the conclusion that Erica was gone. Even if a conventional rescue team of commandos went into the forest, the chances of finding her were slim-to-none, let alone for even the commandos returning home with her from neuroi territory. She was forever lost in the forest below. She still felt regret that she couldn't save her wingman and friend. She wished she didn't yell at her before they left for the mission, or maybe allowed more lenience on her messy side of the room. Now, Erica's side of the room was a sad reminder for her of a lost friend. All that was left was regret and a burning desire for revenge. She was even more dedicated to defeat the neuroi. Not for just for Karlsland, or for her beloved sister. Now for them taking away a true friend she had gotten to know.

She silently flew alongside the rest of the fighter wing, glancing down at the battle below. She could see the troops below cross to the other side, now pushing back the neuroi on the ground. She felt happy about one thing. The retaking of Karlsland has begun. If only Erica was here to see this.

"Hey! Look!" Trude turned to see Yoshika pointing down towards the bridge. The 501st began to converse with each other.

"Is that...?"

"Can it be...?"

"It's her!"

"Who would've known! It is her!"

Trude began to look at the bridge more closely. Scanning past the tanks and the movement of Liberion infantrymen, she saw one figure that stood at the edge of the bridge. She was waving her hands frantically in a overjoyed expression, seemingly calling to them. She had short, blonde hair and a black Luftwaffe uniform. Trude couldn't believe it. It was her. Hartmann.

"It's Hartmann!" Minna called out. Trude, disregarding normal procedure in battle, sped off towards the bridge. She came to a stop in front of the blonde witch, getting a full glance at her. Trude noticed how tired and beaten Erica was. She could even see how worn out and damaged her Luftwaffe uniform appeared. Yet she held an all-too-familiar grin as she happily waved to her.

"Hey Trudy!"

Erica grinned happily to finally be reunited with the 501st. Trude landed on the bridge and disembarked from her striker, running to Erica. Then Trude did something that Erica wasn't prepared for: She hit her on top of her head.

"O-Oww... w-what was that for?" Erica cried out, rubbing her head from the rather powerful smack. She was lucky that Trude didn't use her magic.

"Verdammnt, that for worrying me!" Trude yelled back. Erica then saw another person run up to her before feeling another painful smack, this time on her left cheek.

"And that's for disregarding orders!" Minna yelled. "Did you know how worried were?!"

"I-I'm sorry... It was my fault for worrying you guys like that..." Erica replied back solemnly. She felt the sharp sting remain on her cheek as she rubbed it. Finally, the two Karlsland witches did what she was hoping to receive: the two gave her a heart-felt hug.

"Hartmann, please never do that again. The 501st wasn't complete with you gone. We're family, after all." Minna said in the embrace. "We've been through too much to lose a member... no... a part of the family now."

"Right..." Erica nodded. However, the two noticed how quiet the pig-tailed witch was.

"Trudy?"

"You dummkopf..."

Erica looked closer at Trude as she let go of the embrace to rub her eyes. Erica was surprised to see a single tear fall down. Was she crying?

"Trude?" Erica asked in worry. The only time she remembered Trude shed some tears was from her sister suffering from a coma during the evacuation of Karlsland.

"I thought you died..."

"Sorry... I really did have you worried, huh?" Erica sighed. "Don't worry, I'm fine. And don't cry. It's a little weird for you..."

"Huh?" Trude began to notice the dampness in her eyes then proceeded to rub them quickly in a flight of embarrassment.

"N-No, I wasn't crying! Karlsland soldiers don't cry! I-It was dust in my eyes... or something..."

"Hehe... sure you weren't..."

The rest of the 501st landed on the bridge and proceeded to run to Erica, giving her hugs, words of relief, and overall happiness for the missing witch. The 45th, having helped reduce the remaining force of neuroi turtles to dust, watched the group of air witches share their moment nearby. The 9th Armored continued their trek across the bridge of Remagen almost unopposed, rushing into Karlsland. The Joint Reconnaissance Squad felt accomplished. Not only did they rescue their witch, but also helped with Operation Lumberjack. Audrey wondered what lie next for the 45th as the Allies began their next steps to retake Karlsland and end the war.

"This feels like something from a movie..." Danny commented as she continued to watch the reunion of the 501st with their missing member.

"I guess we completed the mission." Wilma added happily.

"Yeah..." Audrey said. There was no words to describe her sense of accomplishment and happiness she felt. The mission assigned by General Galland herself was complete. An important mission was accomplished by them.

"No doubt this is one to be put in the textbooks." Captain Spiers said. The 9th Armored passed by behind them in numbers.

"I ain't complaining too. We showed them bloody neuroi who's boss!" Jackie spunkily said. Jane just sweatdropped at her friend with a sigh. However, Audrey began to notice how a couple of the witches from the 501st occasionally glanced at them, especially as Erica made gestures towards their direction. Finally, the 501st led by Commander Minna (again, how could no one know of any of the members of the 501st?) walked up to approach the reconnaissance squad.

"According to Hartmann, you must be the search and rescue team that rescued her?" Captain Spiers was the one that answered.

"Yes indeed, ma'am. Operation Geronimo was a success."

"I personally thank you for rescuing one of my witches. Medals alone can't express the gratitude I have. But, if I had the authority, I would personally give you all medals for your service."

"I appreciate that very much, ma'am." Just from hearing those words of praise, the 45th could help but feel satisfaction in accomplishing their mission.

"Excuse me."

Captain Spiers turned around to see a standard, Liberion Army transport truck, complete with the olive-green paint and a "nice" layer of mud on the edges. The Liberion G.I., a rather young guy, was at the wheels of the vehicle, parked next to the group.

"Captain Spiers?" The grunt asked with a salute. He noticed Commander Minna and Major Sakamoto, giving another salute to them as well.

"Lieutenant Collier wold like to give you his thanks. He instructed me to drive your squad and your V.I.P. for the help. He would've thanked you sum'more, but he's up at the front."

"Well then," Spiers said. "Let's get going and bring back Lieutenant Hartmann home." With eagerness, the 45th climbed towards the back of the truck. As they climbed aboard, Erica said some more things to her fellow witches before she climbed in.

"Alright, where to, sir?" The G.I. instead got a response from Minna.

"St. Trond Airfield."

"Belgica? That's pretty far... but alright, ma'am. I'll get them to their destination. I wish you luck on your flight." With a salute, the driver revved the engines and began to drive.

Audrey could see the 501st give a final wave before they began to take off into the skies and continue with Operation Lumberjack. The road was congested with Liberion troops and tanks making their way over the Rhine and towards the front. Erica felt relief wash over her, and within seconds, she began to fall asleep. Most of the 45th were conversing with one another along with some other soldiers and tank witches in the back (deemed wounded and were to report to a nearby field hospital). Eventually, the roads were clear except for the occasional troop transport and some Karlsland divisions moving towards the front. She could see the heavy artillery explode in the distance. No doubt, the operation was a "all-or-nothing" campaign. But for their operation, Operation Geronimo, it was a success. It was time to go home.

* * *

***cough cough* Dammit... why Jackie...**

Jackie: Well, that's for disappearing for nearly a month, you sod!

**I can explain...**

Jackie: Oh, do tell?

**Alright...**

**First, I would like to apologize for my absence. What began as a cold led to a series of events. Literally after my cold was through, I had to keep my grades up due to my absence (I still go to school) while going through college paperwork to get into college. Then, bam! Finals came too! More things on my plate that distracted me from writing. To make it even worse, a good friend of mine called "writer's block" decided to say hello. Yeah, lame stuff to excuse my month-long absence, but that's what happened. Sorry about that ;-;. It took me at least another week to finally put the pieces in my head on how to write this chapter. I decided to make it long as a way to apologize.**

Jackie: Oh... well... um... I'm sorry about that, Ash... man I feel dumb...

**Yeah, you should be after giving me this bloody nose...**

Jackie: Okay, I think you're pushing your luck... want me to bring out the fists again?

**Erm... no please... -_-;**

**Anyways, let me get to some explaining of the events that happened:**

_Battle of Remagen:_

_Upon the start of Operation Lumberjack, the Liberion 1st Army and the Karlsland 7th Heer (Army), accompanied with multiple regiments from Brittainia and Gallia, proceeded to cross the Rhine and begin the final push into Karlsland, ultimately Berlin. One division, the 9th Liberion Armored, along with parts of the 12th Mechanized Infantry, were to cross through the town of Remagen, which a bridge at the town would provide a vital crossing over the Rhine for troops to push into Karlsland. The operation was moved a week up in advance due to the lack of inactivity from the neuroi, hoping that this chance would allow the Allies that opportunity to cross with minimal casualties. However, a number of neuroi were dormant as a defense for the Rhine river, wakened by the immediate detection of Allied forces proceeding near the Rhine. Thus, heavier casualties were sustained, and the particular Battle of Remagen proceeded._

_The neuroi on the ground caught the 9th Armored and 12th Mechanized Infantry off guard, surprising them mid-way on the bridge. A column of tanks at the front were destroyed, along with two squads of infantry and one tank witch lost. The destroyed tanks prevented the rest of the column to proceed across, emphasizing the phrase "shooting fish in a barrel". The 9th Armored and 12th Mechanized fought to maintain their position under heavy neuroi fire. With most of the other division experiencing casualties en masses, there was almost no relief for the 9th and 12th. The only support received was air cover from the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, on patrol over the operation zone._

_However, members of the 45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad unexpectedly came to the aid of the 9th and 12th. Because of their covert Operation Geronimo, a search-and-rescue mission for Lieutenant Erica Hartmann, the 45th were already behind enemy lines and caught the neuroi off-guard, effectively reducing the attacking force of the neuroi on land and relieving the 9th and 12th. With the combined efforts of the 9th, 12th, and 45th, along with air cover from the 501st, the forces on the ground managed to push away the neuroi and cross the Rhine, stopping a potential disaster for the entire operation._

_(Note: The actual Battle of Remagen took place between the U.S. 1st Army and German 7th Army over the town of Remagen during Operation Lumberjack, especially over the bridge. This bridge was a key factor as it provided an easy way to cross the Rhine and into Germany. The German 7th Army desperately tried to destroy the bridge, from explosives, underwater sabotage, air strikes, to even the use of the new Me-262's, all failed to destroy the bridge. Eventually, the U.S. 1st Army won and succeeded in capturing this vital bridge for the Allies, possibly ending the war in Europe earlier than expected.)_

**Also, brownie points to anyone who got the Fury references (pretty obvious though). And the slight Lord of the Rings reference.**

**Another note. Although it wasn't talked much in this story, I had made it that Major Sakamoto still has her magic. Reason? I just can't see the Major without it, honestly. I mean, yes, she did fly in a biplane in the movie with some nice aerial skillz (yes, with a "z"), but I wasn't sure how it would've worked in the long run for my story. Either way, however you see it, I'm pretty sure the Fuso Major would've figured out a way to still fly into combat, with or without magic. Maybe Fuso fighter planes? Her real-world counterpart did it, so why can't she?**

**Anyways, what's in store for the 45th joint Reconnaissance Squad after Operation Geronimo's success? What's going to happen with the Allied invasion and recapture efforts in Karlsland? And will my nose stop bleeding from Jakie's powerful punch?**

Jackie: Heh... sorry...

**Find out next time! Anyways...**

Jackie: ...See you guys later!

...

I still don't fully regret punching you i the face, Ash.

**Whatever... -_-**

**...**

**...**

**Can I have a tissue though? *sniffle***


	6. Chapter 6: Operation Garuda (Part 1)

**Hello! Sorry, I seem to always be late, but I've brought you another chapter of Operation Geronimo: Infantry Witches of the 45th! I'm just gonna make this quick so we can just get straight to the story, m'kay?**

**But first, some reviews!**

**_Motown Scrapper_: Indeed, the 45th has been pretty lucky so far. And I will fix that, since I realized about Shuzaki Hattori and Major Heidemarie Schnaufer were now part of the 501st (assumed temporarily). I'll probably get to fixing that soon.**

**_Empty Promise_: I can see the references. After all, our Captain Logan Spiers here was also partially inspired by Captain Miller. And that movie is a fantastic one, to say the least. Also, I plan to do some more with the Saving Private Ryan references, and possibly have a major chapter including those references as well.**

**_Gamerman22_: The tough life of a special operations operator. Although, I recall that the Rangers did receive medals for their heroism on account of one mission they performed. It was rescuing the survivors of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines who were POW's by the Japanese. But as for our witches here, it'll depend on whether the brass will recognize them or not amidst the continuing war.**

**_RoguePizza_: Hehe, yeah... Still working on that other story as well. As for Jackie's kill count... umm...**

Jackie: It's forty-two Land Neuroi destroyed. Many of them because of the Battle in Ardennes. I take pride in my kill count!

**Right. Thanks Jackie!**

**_LenCrossTop20_: Glad you love this. Of course, this is a late update to the story, but it will hopefully get my mind to continue with the chapters. Hope you enjoy! And I'll be keeping an eye for your stories as well.**

**Alright, let's get goin'!**

* * *

_Chapter 6: Operation Garuda (Part 1)_

* * *

"One..." A neuroi goblin exploded into shards.

"Two..." Another succumbed its fate to a burst of lead.

"And..." With a quick chandelle, Marsielle got behind another drone, shredding it to pieces. The neuroi dust flew past her in a dazzling display.

"...that makes three." She confidently said. Three neuroi destroyed in the span of five seconds. A new record. Marsielle brushed through her hair as her wingman flew up to her.

"Wow. That must be a new record." Raisa said. The pink-haired Karlslander kept her aura of confidence and pride, although sighed a bit at the task at hand.

"Yeah, but if we were in actual combat, I might be able to increase it by five."

"I still think it was good. Three neuroi in five seconds is a big feat to accomplish."

"I guess... hmm..." The two Karlsland witches leveled themselves in flight. Raisa was picking up on Marsielle's bored attitude.

"Something wrong?"

"No... but I heard the 501st is in the area. St. Trond, I believe. I wonder if I could challenge Hartmann again..."

"You know we're still on a mission, right?"

"Right..." Marsielle grumbled.

Due to the massive progress in Africa thanks to a heavy campaign from Montgomery and Patton, the neuroi presence dwindled to minimal sightings. Because of this, Marsielle and Raisa were stationed in Romagna briefly before the two, along with the 34th JFW, were going to prepare for Operation Lumberjack. In particular, both Marsielle and Raisa were to help with another operation named Operation Garuda. The two were to provide escort for a transport Ju-90 carrying commandos and engineers that were to capture Göllheim Airfield, lost to the neuroi back in the evacuation of Karlsland. Afterwards, they would provide air cover for the commandos on the ground till the base was secured and the Liberion 1st Army and Karlsland 7th Heer arrived to fully take over. Marsielle believed that this mission would provide more neuroi kills under her belt, but was a bit disappointed at the rather lack of any, which most neuroi were on the ground. Nonetheless, this mission, let alone this campaign, was for retaking Karlsland. No way was she going to miss on that.

Both Marsielle and Raisa flew next to the transport plane. It was a rather big one, a new model from Junkers Industry with a cargo ramp at the back.

"*_Garuda to Golden Eagle and Huntress, do you copy?_*" The transport pilot spoke through the comms. He had a rather thick Karlsland accent. Both Marsielle and Raisa replied.

"This is Golden Eagle. Solid copy."

"This is Huntress. Solid copy."

"*_Clear channels on both of you. Thanks for the escort. Preparing to drop cargo over the target. Be on standby for operation start, over?_*"

"Solid copy, Garuda." Marsielle said. The two of them then went towards the back of the plane, flying below to see the cargo door.

The plane began its descend, witht he two witches following close behind. As it leveled out to a lower altitude, the cargo door began to open up. Slowly, the door was fully extended, revealing the commandos standing by along with two cargo crates full of equipment. Hanna could clearly see the Karlsland engineers ready for the jump along with the commando officer. However, the group of commandos caught her off guard.

"Marsielle?" Raisa asked, looking at the confusion on her face

"Wait, some of those commandos are witches. What are witches doing here?" Marsielle replied in confusion.

She saw around seven witches, all dressed in infantry uniforms from their respective countries. There were four Karlslanders, two Brittainians, and two Liberions. All were dressed fully with gear and helmets. More to her surprise, they were wearing pants unlike most witches out there. Two of the Brittainian witches even wore skirts. These witches didn't even possess any striker units either, both air or land based models. Marsielle never heard of an infantry-based witch unit. Maybe they were just really feminine commandos?

Wait... never mind... that idea sounds even more absurd than infantry witches.

Both Raisa and Hanna watched the cabin of the plane glow red. As expected, the two cargo crates flew out, safely flying past them. With a tug on their cords from the plane's chute hook, the two crates' parachutes opened up. A few seconds later, the the cabin glowed green with a few words from the transport plane.

"*_Fox and Kobra, you are clear to jump._*"

"*_Affirmative._*"

The engineers and commandos exited the plane. One by one, their parachutes opened up as they hopped out in an organized line. Marsielle could see the commandos drift into the snowy forest below. With it's mission complete, the transport plane banked a hard left to return back home. For the two witches in the air, their mission was still not over. They would have to watch over the commandos and engineers down below till they fully secured the airfield.

After a rather long, tense wait as the two witches did circles over the airfield in the cover of clouds, Hanna heard a voice through her comms. Instead of what she expected to be a male voice, she heard the voice of one of a witch.

"*_Golden Eagle and Huntress, this is Fox. Do you copy?_*"

"Yes, this is Golden Eagle. Huntress and I hear you loud and clear."

"*_Affirmative, Golden Eagle. We have linked with Kobra on the ground and are proceeding on foot towards the airfield. Standby for air support._*" Her voice was clearly from a Karlslander.

"Roger." Marsielle concluded. The two witches banked to the right, getting a better view of the airfield the commandos were to capture. There were pockets of neuroi below, mostly the heavy-variants of land neuroi.

"Quite a lot down there..." Raisa mentioned.

"I wonder if they got this..." Marsielle muttered to herself. She still had to see whether they were the right people for the job. She was going to see whether those infantry witches could prove their worth.

* * *

"I count twenty turtles and ten heavies. Some towards our ten o'clock, but the bulk of them towards our two o'clock..." One of the infantry witches said. She wore the standard Karlsland Fallschirmjäger uniform, complete with winter camouflage and webbed with camouflage netting. She studied the neuroi some more with her binoculars as she hid in the brush with the rest of Fox and Kobra. Pulling down her navy-blue balaclava to allow her to speak more clearly, she began to relay more information on the neuroi up ahead.

"Furthermore, I see some neurified anti-air guns. Those might be a problem for our escorts above. Any course of action, sir?" A Karlsland Fallschirmjäger Major was the one to reply.

"Hmm... may I see the binoculars, Hauptmann?"

"Jahowl, sir."

The Karlsland witch handed off the binoculars to him. He proceeded to study the surroundings once more. Indeed, there were exactly as many neuroi on the ground as his lieutenant had said. The only good thing was that those anti-air won't be a threat. To them, at least.

"Alright..." He spoke up. "Let's go with Formation Victor for this approach. Kobra, stay behind us until we reach the main building."

"Verstanden, Major." The lead engineer said. He began instructing his engineers while one of the infantry witches, a Liberion, asked a question.

"I'm guessing I'm taking point again?" Her accent directed that she was from New Jersey, possibly even New York.

"Indeed, Sergeant. You're on lead." The Liberion Sergeant flashed a cocky grin in response.

"Hauptmann," The Major began, "radio to our escorts. Our assault on the airfield is about to begin."

"Jahowl, sir."

* * *

"Audrey, wake up."

"Hmmm...?"

Audrey let off a rather loud yawn as she rubbed her eyes. A couple tired glances outside displayed a change of scenery; the forests of Belgica were much greener than the snowy surroundings of Karlsland this early spring.

"Audrey, please don't do that. It's now fitting for a solder to yawn like that." Fran said in a disciplinary tone.

"I agree with Fran." Jane said. "Soldiers should act professional."

"But..." Audrey gave off another yawn that irked the two witches.

"Audrey! You're doing it again!" Fran growled.

"Whats going on?" This time, Erica woke up from her own slumber. She gave off a loud yawn as she stretched her back.

Both Fran and Jane sweatdropped at the irony of the situation. Danny silently laughed.

"So much for professional..." Danny smirked. Erica gave off a confused look while Fran scolded back.

"You shouldn't speak about our superior like that!"

"Um," Erica butted in. "I'm not really sure what's going on, but you don't have to be formal."

"But Obestleutnant Hartmann-!"

"Y'know, you can just call me Hartmann. Or Erica. Whatever you prefer really."

"E-Eh... b-but..." Fran's image of the Karlsland ace was beginning to slowly shatter at how relaxed she was, opposite from what she expected. Maybe she was just trying to be kind?

"I'm going back to sleep..." Already, Audrey was returning to her slumber without a care in the world, much to the annoyance of Fran.

"Audrey!"

"But... sleep..." Fran forcefully tugger Audrey's ear as she gave another scolding.

"No. We're almost to the 501st's home base. No more falling asleep."

"You're mean, Fran..." Audrey pouted. Fran could only give an exasperated sigh.

"Hehe... you kind of remind me of Tru- erm, I mean, Barkhorn." Erica chimed in.

"C-Captain Barkhorn?" Fran asked.

"Yeah. You have the same serious attitude as her. You two would be best friends if you guys met."

"R-Really...?"

The thought of meeting another famed witch from the 501st, nonetheless another Karlslander, was a pleasant thought in Fran's mind. Her thoughts were cut short as Audrey made the following announcement:

"Hey, look! We're here!"

The truck approached a small guard post along the forested road. A guard slowed the truck to a halt. Within a few minutes of conversation between the driver and the guard, the guard gladly waved the truck through. Then Audrey saw the base in front of her.

The base was huge, featuring three hangars and a wide, long airstrip to take off from. A control tower oversaw the entirety of the airfield while smaller buildings likely housed the equipment and staff that kept things running. Yet the crown jewel of the base was it's main building. The building most likely housed the 501st, yet it was built like a fortress. Anti-neuroi guns were placed around the building's perimeter accompanied with searchlights that pointed into the sky. Even if the building was without it's defenses, the build of the structure itself looked solid. It gave off the appearance of an old citadel rather than a military base, yet still held elegance in its appearance.

"Wow..." Audrey just stared in awe at the massive building.

"Wow indeed..." Danny added. Jackie gave a whistle in surprise.

"It's like a modern-day castle!" Jane said.

"And the amount of defenses is overwhelming..." Wilma lost count of how many anti-neuroi guns were placed all over the building.

Their truck came to a full stop at the front of the main building and everyone began to disembark. Audrey stepped off and gave a stretch before she grouped with everyone. Being able to rescue a 501st member was overwhelming enough, but Audrey felt more pride as the 45th escorted Hartmann to two awaiting witches that happened to command the famous Strike Witches. However, it surprised Audrey to see another familiar figure that stood next to them. It was Captain Spiers that beat her to the thought.

"Major Johnson. It's a surprise to see you here, sir." Captain Spiers gave a salute while the rest of the 45th stood at attention.

"I'm glad that you all returned safely and brought back Lieutenant Hartmann home." Major Johnson gave a warm smile as he saluted back. "I have important information to relay to all of you. However, let's excuse ourselves from here. I shouldn't hold up Lieutenant Hartmann from getting a proper homecoming."

"You heard the Major." Minna said. "We can discuss more inside."

"Right!" Erica bounded to follow her commanding officers inside the base.

Fran watched the Karlsland witch excitedly get back to her home as she walked away from the 45th. Deep inside, she remembered a personal memory from a while back. As the famed ace left, she whispered quietly to herself.

"Hartmann... thank you for before..."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Fran was surprised to see Erica looking at her in question, along with some of the 45th.

"H-Huh? Oh, u-umm... I said it's been a pleasure meeting you, ma'am!" Fran gave off a look of embarrassment. Thankfully, Audrey was her savior.

"Agreed! It was great to meet you, ma'am!"

"We hope you get a full recovery!" Wilma added. The 45th all gave a salute back.

Erica just stared at the slightly embarrassed witch with a look of confusion, but she let it slide as she gave back a warm smile to everyone.

"Yup! Hope we can meet again!" With that, she joined up with Minna and Sakamoto as they went inside.

"Well, we should be discussing our matters as well. Follow me if you will." Major Johnson waved everyone to follow.

Audrey looked to her Karlsland friend as everyone followed the Liberion Major. She could obviously tell that she was deep in thought. With concern, Audrey quietly talked to her.

"Fran, you alright?"

"H-Huh? Oh... yeah... I was just thinking that's all..."

Audrey knew better. It was obvious to her that there was something that troubled her Karlsland friend, but she decided not to pursue. Instead, she decided to give off a warm smile in hopes to sway off any troubling thoughts in Fran's mind.

"Alright, let's keep up with everyone. We shouldn't keep Major Johnson waiting." Audrey spoke with a bright attitude. Fran shook her thoughts out of her head for the time being.

"Yes!"

* * *

"Minna?"

Minna snapped out of her thought to see two concerned witches staring at her.

"Minna, you okay?" Erica questioned.

"Yeah, you've been quiet the entire time we've walked. Something troubling you?" Sakamoto asked.

"Hmm?" Minna stared back. "Oh, it's nothing. Just some thoughts about those infantry witches, that's all."

"Well, I am surprised to see that the top brass is now having witches do actual infantry roles too."Sakamoto remarked.

"Yup!" Erica added. "They are surprisingly strong too! Watching them fight, they seem to have trained extremely hard to do what they do. I don't know why I haven't heard about them before, though."

"Maybe I could ask around about them." Minna offered. "Anyways, we need to debrief you at my office."

However, it wasn't entirely true what she told them just earlier. It was about one of the infantry witches she saw.

'_That Karlsland witch... she looks familiar... I feel like I've seen her before..._'

* * *

Major Johnson led the band of soldiers towards one of the four hangars on base. In the distance, Audrey could see two Karlsland transport planes docked next to it with personnel unloading various ammo crates. Major Johnson picked up on the curiosity of the 45th.

"First, I would like to congratulate all of you for the successful rescue mission. If I had the authority, I would give you all medals for your efforts. However, Allied Command is requesting your assistance for another mission."

"Seems we can't rest easy yet." Captain Spiers sighed.

"However, you won't be performing this mission alone." Major Johnson led them all into the back of the hangar. To Audrey's surprise, another group of witches was already present, awaiting at a couple of tables in the back. In fact, they were infantry witches.

The squad of infantry witches present were a mix of nationalities. Three of them were Orussian witches, wearing the standard Orussian infantry uniforms. The two younger ones looked identical and had medium-length brown hair and wore the Orussian infantry cap while the eldest had short blonde hair that hid underneath an ushanka. A witch from Sumous wore a white winter uniform and a hood that covered her black bangs. The Sumous witch stood alongside a witch from Fuso, who wore the standard Fuso Army uniform and had a sheathed Katana on her back. The last two witches of the squad were a pair that had the Australis patches on their Brittainian uniforms. The man that commanded them was a strong-looking Orussian who held his stature with pride.

They were the 52nd Saboteur Corps, known as the Roaring Bears, or _Ревущий медведи охоты_ in Petersburg, Orussian. Another Joint Reconnaissance Squad that was stationed in Orussia for the Eastern Front. Although Audrey didn't know these witches personally, she knew about their expertise as an assault squad and how they excelled in destroying neuroi defenses on the ground and being the perfect types for sabotage.

However, it seems that one of the witches of the 52nd knew them.

"Ah! You guys!" The blonde Orussian witch called out to the group and began to approach them.

Both Danny and Jackie came to face the Orussian witch with a smile with Jane and Wilma giving a warm wave. To the surprise of Audrey and Fran, the Orussian witch picked up all four in a bear hug while the Orussian, Danny, and Jackie all laughed. While Danny and Jackie were the strongest witches in their squad, the Orussian witch had no problem lifting them up and off the ground with her hug along with both Wilma and Jane (who seemed sandwiched between Danny and Jackie).

"It's great to see you guys!" The Orussian witch exclaimed in a hearty Orussian accent.

"Hehe... it's great to see you too Nona!" Danny exclaimed.

"The deadly trio is back together, huh?" Jackie said with a laugh.

"H-Hehe... glad to see you, Nona!" Wilma said in a muffled voice.

"Y-Yeah... nice to see you, Nona... b-but... may you please be a little gentler..." Jane winced.

The Orussian named Nona gently put the four down and gave off a big smile.

"Captain Spiers and Lieutenant Hathcock, _Рад Вас видеть (Hello!)_!" Nona gave a wave to the two officers. Both of them waved back.

"I see that my Starshina knows you." The Orussian soldier spoke with a hearty laugh. He gave a firm handshake to Captain Spiers.

"Captain Viktor Leonov, commanding officer of the 52nd Saboteur Corps."

"Captain Logan Spiers, commanding officer of the 45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad." Spiers gestured towards his troop of witches.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves?"

Each member of the 45th gave a formal introduction, stating their name, rank, and nationality with their included branch of service. Audrey felt a little proud to see another fellow squad of infantry witches side-to-side.

"Well, devochkis, let us warmly introduce ourselves to our fellow comrades, da?" Captain Leonov stated. The Orussian named Nona began.

"Although most of you know me, I'm Nona Onilova, part of the Orussian Red Scouts and second-in-command of the 52nd. And I'm a Starshina, or a Sergeant Major for all you english speakers." Nona then grabbed the two other Orussian witches and brought them forward (to their surprise).

"And these two little cubs are my younger sisters!"

"Sis!" The two Orussians whined with embarrassment. "Stop embarrassing us!" Nona gave a sheepish smile in response. The first one to speak out of the two wore a red hair clip. Otherwise, Audrey wouldn't have been able to distinguish from the two.

"Umm... W-Well... I'm Corporal Alexandra Onilova of the Red Scouts and member of the 52nd Saboteur Corps. And sister to my twin here... and to my doofus big sis too..." That last statement stunned Nona with embarrassment and sadness, leaving her unable to speak.

"And I'm Corporal Sasha Onilova of the Red Scouts and 52nd Saboteur Corps... and I-I don't really believe big sis is a doofus... hehe..." Immediately, Nona's eyes sparkled and her confidence was restored from the small words of praise while Alexandra just sighed. Everyone else just sweatdropped.

"I-I am Sergeant Saya Häyhä, part of the Sumous White Guard and sniper for the 52nd." The Sumous witch gave a shy nod and a smile.

"I am Sergeant Yuki Okatsu, part of the Imperial Fuso Army and of the 52nd Saboteur Corps. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The Fuso witch gave a polite bow towards everyone.

"Lance Corporal Jessie Gordon of the Australis Army and 52nd. Nice to meet ya!" The Australis witch gave a big grin and wave.

"Corporal Penelope Gratwick of the Australis Army and 52nd. It's great to meet you!"

"Glad that we've introduced ourselves. Let's get to the initial briefing." Major Johnson walked up towards a map upon the wall.

The map featured a town along the coast of Karlsland. There were two main features of the map that Audrey spotted: an airfield placed upon a peninsula that opened into the sea, and a port that sat across, next to the town. Both were decent-sized. The town's name was Bremerhaven.

"This," Major Johnson pointed to the map. "is Bremerhaven. This used to be a Karlsland airfield and port that used to house naval units and planes before the neuroi took over back in the beginning of this war. Allied Command has realized the strategic importance of this town.

"As you know, Operation Lumberjack has been a success. We have already pushed into a decent amount of Karlsland by now despite the surprise neuroi counter-offensive. However, there is still a big possibility that the neuroi will retaliate once more. With the only source of supplies and reinforcements coming from the Gallian border, the risk of the neuroi cutting off the front it too big to ignore. Already, the 23rd JRS has successfully completed part one of this operation: Operation Garuda. They already have captured an airfield towards the south of Karlsland that can provide another source of supplies. Now, Allied Command needs another supply line. That is why Allied Command has requested you all for this mission.

This mission will require both squads to paradrop into the town under the cover at night. From there, both teams will split up to capture both objectives and eliminate the neuroi presence. An engineering division from Brittainia has already been preparing an amphibious landing on the town, but can only arrive once the neuroi presence is minimal. They have said the earliest they could make it is by tomorrow morning, so it is important to secure and keep a defensive perimeter. Furthermore, the 501st has agreed to send some of their night witches to give some support.

The mission will commence in 2400. In the meantime, re-equip and rest..." Major Johnson gave one final note.

"I know this is a sudden mission for all of you, especially for everyone in the 45th. Yet, I have faith in all of you. Allied Command knows that you all are capable of this feat. Let's make sure we can get one step further to ending this war. Everyone's dismissed!"

* * *

"Well, these two are the ones that replaced me?" Nona began. She stared at Audrey and Fran with curiosity. Both Audrey and Fran nervously stood while Nona inspected the two. Picking up the nervous gazes from the two, Nona let off a smile and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, you two are a pair of cuties!" None smiled.

That was the last response Audrey and Fran expected.

"H-Huh?"

"Nona's still Nona..." Jane sweatdropped.

"You didn't realize that when she gave all four of us a bear-hug?" Danny replied.

"Well, these two look like they came straight from training!" Nona replied cheerily. "So cute!"

"Eh... w-well, ma'am... we've been in the squad for around four months..." Fran stuttered.

"Really?!" Nona said with surprise. "Eh... my bad... not as new as I thought..."

"W-well..." Audrey began. "Um, Sergeant Olinova. May I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead! And you can call me Nona if you wish. After all, a comrade of a friend is my friend too!"

"Okay, erm... Nona. How do you know the others?"

"Well," Nona began. "I used to be part of the 45th."

"Really?" Nona gave a nod.

"Yup. Before you two, another Liberion witch named-"

"Let's not mention her, please..." Danny said with a sour face. Nona sweatdropped nervously.

"D-Da... right... well, to put it shortly, a Liberion witch, a Karlsland witch, and I took both of your spots in the 45th in the early formations of this squad. This was during the early parts of the newly formed Joint Reconnaissance Squads. Back then, we were stationed around Romanga, just when Venezia was recently taken over by the neuroi. I can say that I made great friends and enjoyed my time in the 45th."

"I didn't know there were three other witches before us..." Fran stated.

"But why did you transfer out the 45th? It seems that you really loved being a part of this squad back then." Audrey asked.

"Indeed I did. However, I was offered to take a commanding role in a JRS centered in Orussia and help start their squad. Although I loved the 45th, I felt I was needed back in Orussia. So, with approval from Captain Speirs, I transferred into the 52nd and helped Captain Leonov start up the squad. Which I am glad, since my two little sisters were there!"

"Again, small world after all..." Jackie chimed.

"Well..." Danny stretched and began to pace around. "We should get ready for the mission. You know me; I have a couple hundred rounds to check on for my .50 cal."

The 45th began to check inventory as Nona returned to her squad. Audrey glanced at the 52nd. Everyone was doing their own thing. Nona went to talk (or rather, bear-hug) her little siblings, the Fuso witch appeared to be cleaning her Katana (which, Audrey admitted, was a cool-looking sword) while divulging into deep conversation with the timid-looking Sumous witch. And the Australis witches were just relaxing upon a box of ammunition, awaiting for the mission.

'_Two missions in a row... let's hope we do well..._' Audrey thought. She inspected her clip for her M1 Garand before placing it back into her pack.

* * *

**A short chapter, no doubt, but I'm working on the next chapter of this story. The next one will have a little more action than this one. Yet, here we meet another Joint Recon Squad: the 52 Saboteur Corp: The Roaring Bears. In fact, the Russian above (Ревущий медведи охоты) translates to "The Roaring Bears of the Hunt". Again, this is a rough translation (with Google Translate, the not-so-reliable language translator).**

**As for my lack of posting (which has become a hated habit of mine now), its due to writer's block. A big reason for it is because it was hard to introduce the new JRS. Many times did I contemplate on not involving them, but I kept them in. In fact, this chapter took me a while because this was supposed to be a filler. Many questions arose to how I want to introduce our 52nd. I wrote at least three other rough drafts for this sole chapter, many of which were a bit lengthier. That, and a lot of research went into who these soldiers of the 52nd would be based off (after all, I gotta follow Strike Witches' example!). It took me a while to write this one, so I hope this little chapter will be able to set up future chapters to come while being enjoyable.**

**And, since I introduced the members of the 52nd, I'll provide some background info! For now, it will be on the Orussians of the team**:

**Sergeant Major Nona Olinova:**

Country of Origin: Orussia

Age: 18

Branch of Military: Orussian Red Scouts of the Orussian Army

Rank: Starshina (Sergeant Major)

Role in Squad: Second in Command, Assault Leader

Weapons: DP-27 light machine gun, Tokarev TT-30 pistol

Magical Ability: Strength Augmentation

Familiar: Brown Bear

Background:

_Nona Olinova was born in Novonikolayevka, Orussia, being the eldest of three in her family. At a young age, Nona's mother died due to illness, leaving her, her father, and her two little sisters to tend to their farm. With her mother gone, she became the motherly figure for her two sisters and treating them with warmth and kindness, just like how she remembered her mother. She helped her father on the farm whilst giving proper care to her sisters. However, once the Neuroi began attacking Orussia, many men were called out to enlist and fight while most of the population retreated to the Ural Mountains. One of which was her father. Nona then took the sole responsibility to take care for her two sisters, Alexandra and Sasha, amongst the confusion to retreat to the Ural mountains while her father went off to fight for the motherland. Nona managed to safely bring her siblings towards the Ural mountains, taking refuge under the care of their Aunt. With the situation growing worse as news of Karlsland and Gallia falling to the neuroi along with fierce fighting on the Eastern Front, money and food were becoming low for refugees. As a result, Nona began to work as factory worker for the production of ammunition. This would change her life._

_One busy day, a fire broke out in the factory she worked at. While many workers fled, she and few other workers became trapped from the spreading flames, quickly reaching the ammunition. It was then when, by pure luck, her magic saved both her and her fellow workers when her magical shield protected everyone from the blast. Everyone only received minor injuries, while Nona was proclaimed a local hero. At this time, Orussian military officials were in the process of joining Project Second Chance when they caught word of the newly-found out witch. Deciding to use her to jump-start their interest in the project, they enlisted Nona into the military and began her training. While it pained her to leave her two siblings, Nona agreed to join the Orussian military under their request in hopes that her contribution to the war effort could finally bring an end to the war. She was then put into the makings of an infantry witch, being the first Orussian witch in the program. She was then sent to the 45th JRS and fought alongside Danny, Wilma, Jane, and Jackie in Romanga before she accepted the offer to help start a new JRS in Orussia (which, to her surprise, have recruited her two sisters that she now knew were witches as well). Her notable actions were present as she spearheaded the attack at the Battle of Kursk with the 52nd._

_A fierce fighter, Nona excels at spearheading assaults and changing the tide in battle. With the pride of an Orussian and calmness of a commanding officer, she knows where to apply force towards a front and can destroy incoming neuroi with ease. Because of this, she has gained a favorable reputation amongst her peers and by Orussian infantry._

_Her personality can be described as a motherly figure, something she obtained due to being one for her sisters. She often looks out for her squad mates and treats everyone with kindness and respect. Her cheery optimism is something that helps the 52nd stay strong, no matter the situation. Although, she can sometimes become too motherly; often, she would become too cuddly and fond with some of her squad mates, hugging them (and squeezing the life out of them due to her strength, something she often forgets to consider), which keeps everyone to look out for her. This especially applies to her two little sisters._

(Based of the _Hero of the Soviet Union_ recipient, Nina Olinova.)

**Corporal Alexandra Olinova and Corporal Sasha Olinova:**

Country of Origin: Orussia

Age(s): 15

Branch of Military: Orussian Red Scouts of the Orussian Army

Rank: Efreitor (Corporal)

Role in Squad: Assault (Alexandra), Marksman (Sasha)

Weapons: PPSh-41submachine gun and Tokarev TT-30 pistol (Alexandra), Mosin–Nagant M91/30 PU Sniper Rifle and PPS-43 submachine gun

Magical Ability: Shield Strengthening (Alexandra), Magical Eye (Sasha)

Familiar: Brown Bear (Alexandra), Black Bear (Sasha)

Background:

_Born in Novonikolayevka, Orussia, Alexandra Olinova and Sasha Olinova were the younger sisters of Nona Olinova. The passing of her mother was something that painfully struck Alexandra and Sasha, despite the two being too young to remember their mother. Alexandra became protective of her family, never wanting to have to go through pain like that ever again. While Nona assumed the motherly figure of the family, Alexandra assured to become a responsible, mature sister and swore to protect Sasha, who was more shy out of the two. However, pain struck her even more once the war with the Neuroi spread to Orussia and their father left to fight. With the three on the run to the Ural Mountains, the sudden change of life was a shock for Alexandra and terrifying for Sasha. No longer were the two helping to care for the family farm, but now on the run from the neuroi menace as refugees while their father was to fight them._

_As refugees in the Ural Mountains, the twin sisters and Nona struggled through living at the refugee center under the care of their aunt, working to find food and trying to stay warm during chilly nights. With Nona's effort to provide food by working at the factory, Alexandra took the responsibility to take care of her sister. Upon the near-death of her sister and her enlistment into the military, the twins were distraught with another member of their already-dwindling family was to be gone. Despite her desperate efforts, Alexandra was in tears that she couldn't keep her big sister to stay. Now with only the two of them and their aunt as remaining family, they continued to live their lives as refugees. It would take a while till they discovered their magical potential upon accident._

_The promise of both her father and Nona made Alexandra's aunt protective of the two. So when Alexandra and her twin wanted to join the Orussian military in hopes to find the rest of her family and take part in ending the war, her aunt fanatically refused. While a shy Sasha complied to their aunt, Alexandra refused to listen to the words of her aunt and ran off with Sasha. The two joined the military in hopes to find Nona, while the Orussian military was happy to have additional witches to the program, especially due to the increasing threat of Neuroi getting closer and closer to the Ural Mountains. The rest is history; after training, the two were the first to be assigned to the newly-formed 52nd Saboteur Corps. And, unexpectedly, the two were reunited with their sister Nona._

_Alexandra fiercely fights just like her sister Nona, but can be careless at times. A proud fighter, she believes that if enough force is pushed upon a defense, no matter how strong, it will crumble. Brash and reckless at times, she uses her devotion to family as a catalyst to fight. Because of this, she excels in assaults and is often paired up with Nona. Her magical ability, shield strengthening, can make her a mobile wall, almost impervious to attacks._

_Sasha, on the other hand, perfects in being calm and focused. Her role as a marksman and as a spotter for the sniper of the squad, Saya Häyhä, is perfect for her. Her magical ability, Magical Eye, is useful for her role. However, she can only access it t it's full potential through a scope. Nonetheless, she is vital to picking off neuroi. A master of stealth and sniper tactics, her partnership with Saya makes the two a deadly duo._

_Off the battlefield, the two have different personalities. Alexandra takes the role of the protective, big sister while Sasha is more shy and meek in personality. Both get easily embarrassed from their elder sister Nona's public affection. Alexandra often likes to be more independent from help, although does share a softer side at times._

**That is it for now! But before I go, I'll let off one more thing: I have made some sketches of our characters! As of know, I'm trying my best to draw everyone of the 45th. As of right now, I've finished the sketch for Audrey, our beloved, and gluttonous Faraway Lander!**

Audrey: Hey! I'm not a glutton!... eh... okay... maybe I am... but give me some credit, eh! I love to cook!

Fran: You forgot about lazy as well...

Audrey: Fran! *pouts*

**Hehehe... enough fighting you two... Anyways, here is a link to Audrey's Character Design right here.**

Audrey: Hehe... you got all my good sides...

Jackie: Oi! When will ya have my sketch done?

**After I finish up Francia's Character Design-**

Jackie: Bah! Get to me first!

Fran: Hey! Wait your turn!

**Relax, Jackie. I've already begun a bit on your sketch as well. Just you wait...**

Jackie: Can I make a request? You should draw me riding on a griffin with my flaming broadsword in one hand and my Sten in the other.

Fran: This isn't a renaissance painting Ashton is doing. He's keeping it in a professional manner like Audrey's.

Jackie: Of course the kraut would take all the fun out of it...

Fran: *glares*

**Enough, you two. Anyways, anything else you three want to tell to our readers?**

Audrey: Umm... please wait for the next chapter!

Fran: And remember to leave a review on how the writer can improve! We all greatly appreciate it!

Jackie: And don't be stick-in-the-mud like Ms. Kraut here...

Fran: Why you-!

**Ehh... umm... anyways, General Ashton signing off! And we'll see you at the next chapter! Stay Frosty!**

_**Author's Note:**_** Apparently, my links are refusing to work with me... If you want to see Audrey's Character Design, head over to my profile. There is a link there as well!**


	7. Chapter 7: Operation Garuda (Part 2)

**Heyo! Miss me?**

**Bringing back another deserved chapter on Operation Geronimo, adding some new info, new plot, new... erm... everything? I dunno, i'm tired...**

**Of course, my excuse for being tardy with this update: school, life... yadda yadda. It's unfortunate, but true. Seems it won't get easier for now as my college applications are underway and I handle my classes. But I will at least get to writing this stuff. Especially through the inspiration from the many stories that are being added and updated, I wanted to join back in for the fun!**

**Now let's get to some reviews before we get started, alright?**

**_LenCrossTop20_: Thank you *blushes*. I'm flattered, really. Although my writing is not the best compared to thers, I try my best to give a good tale. I hope this chapter satisfies you!**

**_HistoryAnonymous_: True about the sibling matter in the military. I did hear about the incident with the Sullivan Brothers, but not the one in WWI. That surprised me. However, I did think that, in the Eastern Front in WWII, Russia wouldn't care about that policy considering the stakes for them. So maybe it was ignored. And many other things happened with Russia, but the list is too long, so... I won't bother. **

**_Danger Close_: Thanks! You'll see a little bit into the 52nd this chapter, so let's hope they impress you.**

**_Gamerman22_: I always thought it had a pink-ish, blond tint in the anime. And I just followed what I've seen from what Dilnos wrote a while back to describe Hanna, which made me confirm my suspicions on her hair color. Whatever. Pink. Blond. Pink-Blond. Blond-pink. Pinky-ish-Blondy-ish. It's gotta be one of those colors, right?**

**Okay! Prepare for Story-mode!**

**3!**

**2!**

**1! **

**And-**

* * *

_Chapter 7: Operation Garuda (Part 2)_

* * *

"45th, you have ten minutes till we're over the jump zone. Prepare to jump!" The pilot called out to the back of the plane.

Captain Spiers gave a thumbs up. Already, the 45th was hooking up to the lines and readying themselves to jump as the jump lights illuminated the cabin with a light red. The night sky was different from their previous mission. A full moon enveloped the clear night sky with a soothing light. Audrey was even surprised to see the stars outside as well. Peering out, Audrey glanced at the other Karlsland Ju-90 that carried the 52nd. Flying with them were three witches of the 501st: Pilot Officers Eila Juutilainen and Sanya Litvyak and Major Heidemarie Schnaufer. Those three guarded their transport planes as they got closer and close to their target: Bremerhaven.

'Hmm... I wonder how everyone back home is doing. I hope everyone's doing okay...'

"Cosens."

"H-Huh?" Audrey snapped out of her train of thought to see most of the 45th staring at her.

"Cosens, static-line check. Everything good?" Captain Spiers called out.

"O-Oh! Yes sir! Everything is secure!"

"Hey, don't space out like that. We're almost at the jump zone. Stay alert."

"Yes sir! Understood!"

"Captain!" The pilot called back. "We're going to open the cargo doors! Five minutes till you jump!"

"Alright!" Spiers hollered back.

The back cargo doors of the Ju-90 slowly opened. Immediately, a rush of air flew into the cabin accompanied with the howl of the wind. The chill of the air nipped at Audrey's face, but it didn't faze her. She briefly activated her familiar features and had her magical antennae out. What she discovered confirmed her suspicions.

"Do you sense something, Cosens?" Hathcock asked.

"I'm picking up quite a lot of neuroi within the town. Although, it seems there are few within the airfield or docks themselves. But I sense some of those neurified anti-air guns."

"You should patch that information to both the 52nd and to our escorts." Spiers said. Audrey nodded. Using her radio, she broadcasted the information.

"This is Sergeant Audrey Cosens of the 45th. I detect multiple neuroi hiding deep within the town along with some neurified anti-air guns. Just a heads up before we begin." The crackle of radios replied back.

"*_This is Captain Leonov. Thanks for the information. We'll be preparing for any surprises below._*"

"*_This is Major Schnaufer. Thanks for the alert. Both Officer Litvyak and I sensed some of those neuroi and will be prepared to defend the transports. We'll alert you if any neuroi come into the airspace._*"

"Understood." Audrey replied. Now just one more thing that concerned her...

"Um, Fran?"

"Hmm?" Fran looked back at her.

"Well... are you still, eh... y'know, nervous about the jump?"

"To be honest, I'm a little afraid. But this is for Karlsland, my home. So... I guess I'm not as afraid as before."

"Well, If worst comes to worst..." Jackie, behind the two, said with a mischievous smile.

"Jackie, I swear. Another one of those..." Fran growled.

"One minute to jump! Everyone, get ready!" The pilot called out.

Immediately, the high-pitched boom of neuroi flak echoed outside. With each boom, the outside world glowed a deadly red as puffs of red haze accompanied the moon-light night. Audrey felt the plane rattle from the explosions, with each one getting closer and close to the plane.

"*_This is Major Schnaufer. We'll protect the transports from getting hit and find a way to distract the flak guns. Out._*"

As soon as Major Schnaufer finished her sentence, the cabin was illuminated green. Audrey heard the all-too familiar words come from Captain Spiers's mouth. Words that a special infantry witch would never forget:

"Let's go!"

In pairs, the 45th hopped out of the plane. Next to her, Audrey could see Fran's face just before the two leapt out of the plane. Her face was filled with determination. Courage. She wasn't afraid to jump.

Then immediately, Audrey's chute deployed. Suspended into the air, she cast a glance back as the Ju-90's and their witch escorts grew smaller. It seemed the neuroi flak was more focused on them rather than the parachuting infantry witches descending from above. Further out, she took a glance at the chutes of the 52nd and sighed in relief as every chute was accounted for. Then she looked below her to see the town of Bremerhaven.

She saw a desolate, empty town that was battle-torn and ravaged by the neuroi. Rows of buildings and former buildings lined the rubble-filled streets. In the distance, she could make out Bremerhaven Airfield. It rested on a man-made island near the river-mouth that led to the ocean. What once held Karlsland Luftwaffe planes was now occupied by the neuroi.

The entire town was occupied by the neuroi. It was their job to liberate it for humanity.

* * *

"Transport one and two, you are in the clear. Head back to base." Heide spoke.

"*_Affirmative. We're banking right and heading home. Wish you luck on the mission. Out._*" The two planes turned right, circling back to head off to the closest airfield.

"Looks like part of our mission is complete." Eila said. The neuroi flak exploded around them, but far away to the point that it was impossible to get hit. She wondered why the neuroi neurified anti-air if they even can't hit anything.

"Now we just need to watch over the witches down below." Heide noted in a quiet voice.

"I hope they'll be safe down there. I already detect multiple neuroi inside the town." Sanya added.

"And our strikers aren't designed for ground attacking either." Heide said.

"Don't worry," Eila intervened. "They're special forces. They can handle it. Besides, one of the squads down there was responsible for rescuing Hartmann."

"That's right..." Sanya said. "I'm glad they brought Hartmann back safely. If we meet them again, we should get a gift for them."

"Maybe salmiakki?"

"Eh... maybe not that..."

'_Let's hope they stay safe._' Heide thought as the parachutes slowly descended into the town of Bremerhaven.

* * *

Jackie glided down into the town, watching every pile of rubble for any neuroi. Her descend glided her way too close to a rickety roof, having to lift up her feet to avoid landing atop of it and possibly crash through. Instead, her parachute got tangled upon a street lamp. Now, she was suspended five feet in the air, hanging in the straps of her parachute. In the middle of a desolate, rubble-filled street.

"Damn thing..." Jackie muttered. She carefully unbuckled her harness. At the last one, she landed on her feet, now onto the paved street below.

'_Right, now to get my stuff..._'

Tugging upon the harness to get her pack closer to her, she carefully unhooked her pack from the parachute. Grasping her pack, she slung it onto her back while she proceeded to account for everything.

'_Sten? Check. Sword? Check. Everything else? Pretty sure it's here, so... check._'

Finished with her quick mental checklist, she held onto her Sten while she decided on how to find the rest of the 45th. That was when the building next to her, an abandoned store, began to glow red.

"Huh?... Oh crap!"

Jackie put out her shield as the building exploded in a flurry of debris. Her shield deflected a beam of miasma. Jackie stood there too see a bug-looking neuroi slowly crawl out from where the building used to be, now a burning heap of rubble. It gave a low shriek, almost like a growl.

"Great. The welcoming party..." Jackie muttered.

The neuroi charged the Brittainian witch. Jackie predicted this and rolled to the side. The neuroi passed its target and forced itself to come to a stop. Like a mad bull, the neuroi let off another shriek, only to be greeted with a hail of lead from Jackie's Sten and exploding into a white cloud of crystals.

Two more neuroi "ants" decided to make an appearance, coming out of an alleyway to face the lone witch. Undeterred, Jackie readied her Sten to fight. Both neuroi charged at her, which was unwise. A quick burst of bullets sent one of the neuroi into a quick end. As the second "ant" came closer, she readied her aim and began to fire.

_Click_

"Huh?" The familiar sound of running out of ammo. Perfect timing.

The neuroi was up close to Jackie. The neuroi lifted its front appendages high into the air. With fury, the neuroi "ant" proceeded to pummel Jackie into the ground.

Or, at least, it tried to.

Jackie, reacting on acute reflexes, jumped over the neuroi to dodge it's attack. The neuroi didn't realize its target was above it, still focused on the cloud of dust it made. Jackie brandished her Scottish Broadsword in a quick, fluid motion and grasped the handle with two hands.

"Oi neuroi!" Jackie roared out. The neuroi looked up to realize its mistake.

Jackie pointed her sword down and proceeded to land atop of the neuroi. With all the weight of her body, she drove her Broadsword through the neuroi with ease and skewered it through. In a flash, the neuroi was reduced to crystal shards and her broadsword (and herself) landed onto the paved ground.

"Whew... and that's why you don't mess with a Brittainian and her Broadsword!" Jackie happily cheered as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

Sheathing back her sword, Jackie loaded a fresh new magazine into her Sten. As much as slicing and dicing neuroi was fun and all, having a fresh, fully loaded Sten submachine gun did wonders. Suddenly, shots began to rang out through the town.

'_Seems like the others have encountered neuroi as well._' Jackie thought as more gunfire echoed through the town, accompanied with neuroi shrieks.

Jackie began to run to the nearest sound of gunfire, which she believed to be a few blocks down the road. Better go join the fight.

* * *

The situation Audrey was in wasn't the best.

Audrey currently took cover in the second story of a battered shop. Alongside her were Jane and Lieutenant Hathcock, both taking marksman positions. Outside the store were around fifteen to thirty of those bug-type neuroi, dubbed Neuroi Ants.

Their situation, as the Liberions would call it, looked like the Alamo.

"Audrey, did you get in contact with the 52nd or Captain Spiers?" Jane asked between gunshots. One Ant exploded in a white flash.

"I'm not picking him up from the backup handheld radio. Same with the 52nd. I can't get a reach to them."

"I just love how we managed to land into a damn nest full of 'em!" Hathcock swore at he fired more rounds.

"Sir, we better displace!" Jane yelled as five more neuroi ants were joining the fight.

"W-Wait!" Audrey yelled out.

"Huh? W-Wait, what the-?!"

Ten neuroi ant immediately were hailed with lead from an unknown source, most of them disintegrating before they could even see their demise. However, Jane's sharp senses could tell who was attacking. Faint embers wafted in the air.

"Who's attacking?" Audrey said in confusion.

"Jackie."

On the ground, Jackie reloaded her Sten with a fresh magazine while the aura around her was glowing a light orange. Her barrel was even glowing an unusual orange as if it would melt at any second. The neuroi she didn't finish off were facing the consequences of a burning side-effect to her magical ability, now disintegrating under her incendiary bullets. If one could see her eyes, they held a spark of life and energy. Jackie smirked. She loved this part of her job.

She knew how to act. Shoot. Dodge. Shoot. Dodge. Reload if necessary. She played these steps as she enacted them out. With quick reflexes, she dodged an attempted attack by a neuroi before pumping it's underside with lead. Two more neuroi tried to attack, but she propped her shield in time, stunning her opponents. A quick burst left pieces of neuroi everywhere. Five more decided to fight the Brittainian tomboy with numbers, surrounding her. But she was prepared. In a quick motion, all three soldiers watched Jackie decimate the five neuroi with one strike, shattering them into pieces. Audrey looked with awe at Jackie's sword, glowing bright orange and emanating flames.

Jackie sheathed back her sword with pride and wiped the sweat off her brow. All the neuroi were done for.

"Oi! I cleaned up!" Jackie waved up, plastered with a grin.

"She just put us to shame..." Hathcock sweatdropped.

"Yeah... she did..." Jane said. The thirty-or-so neuroi that attacked them were now reduced to dust in a matter of a few minutes.

"Oi! You coming down or not?"

"R-Right! We'll be right there!"

* * *

"Where are they? Did they miss the drop zone?" Fran asked.

The rest of the members of the 45th, which were Captain Spiers, Fran, Danny, and Wilma, were hiding at the designated regroup zone. The second story building they remained in gave a tactical viewpoint of the Bremerhaven Airfield. Captain Spiers, focused with a pair of binoculars, studied the airfield for any openings in the neuroi defense, which was strong. He saw many neuroi roam around the grounds, including neuroi turtles and neuroi ants. The only way onto the airfield was through a concrete bridge that spanned across the river.

"Should we send someone to find them, sir?" Wilma asked.

"Let's not. The neuroi are beginning to stir up again. We can't have the chance to alert them this close after we went into hiding."

"How's the 52nd?" Danny said. She hid her massive M2 Browning in the shadows, careful to not let the moonlight shine onto her gun.

Across the street from them, the 52nd hid behind rubble onto the street, their guns trained onto the airfield. Spiers made a hand-motion, signaling to Captain Leonov. Captain Leonov replied back with a set of hand gestures that Spiers understood before focusing on the neuroi in front of them.

"Alright, Captain Leonov gestured us to begin attacks soon. All we could do is hope that the others get here first."

A knock on the doorframe grabbed their attention before Lieutenant Hathcock poked his head through the doorway and followed in, accompanied with Jackie, Jane, and Audrey.

"Finally, you guys arrive..." Danny sighed.

"Sorry about the wait." Hathcock replied. " My, Jane, Audrey's drop zone got the attention of all the damn neuroi in the town. Jackie managed to bail us on that one. Any encounters on your end?"

"Some close calls, but they were quickly dealt with." Spiers said. "Neuroi stopped trying to find us. I'm guessing they're expecting an attack by now. I just saw some turtles appearing. The heavier variants too."

"Damn... that might be a bit troublesome for me. Dunno if I can pin them with my rifle. How about the 52nd? They in position?"

"Yup. They are ready to go on the word." Spiers then turned to everyone.

"Alright, Danny and Hathcock, I want you two to remain here to provide supporting fire. Audrey, you stay here as well. You'll be our eyes from here, so alert us through the 52nd. The rest of us will meet up with the 52nd down below. Got it?"

"Got it." Everyone replied.

Quietly, one by one, the members of the 45th exited the room, leaving Hathcock, Danny, and Audrey in the room alone. Hathcock chambered his anti-neuroi rifle while Danny did the same with her Browning. Audrey placed her radio-pack onto the ground as she re-connected to the channel for their air escorts.

"Escorts, Wardog and Grizzly will commence Bremerhaven operations now. Keep us posted on any unusual neuroi activity. Out." It took a few seconds before a reply came, coming from a quiet, soft voice.

"_*This is Officer Litvyak. Thank you for the notice. We'll keep you informed. Best of wishes and stay safe. Out.*_"

For the 52nd, they watched more neuroi wander around the airfield. While their entrance wasn't stealthy, the neuroi had no whereabouts on their position. However, this made the situation more deadly, as more neuroi began to guard their target. To make it more difficult, the only entrance to Bremerhaven Airfield was through a concrete bridge. As second-in-command, Nina needed to know how to approach their target and help Captain Leonov. Their options were limited, so there can't be any mistakes.

"дерьмо́... There's more neuroi than I expected..." Captain Leonov cursed as he peered through his binoculars. He scratched his patchy beard with thought.

"The devils have the advantage. This bridge is a choke point. It would be almost impossible to charge in unscathed. Yet, this is the only path."

"Agreed," Nona suggested. "Saya and Sasha, could you be able to break their defenses?"

"I only have ten shots per magazine in my rifle. It will take me a while to reload each magazine. But I think I can do it." Saya meekly said.

"I can help clear a path." Sasha spoke with determination. Members of the 45th took positions besides their sister squad, ready for the assault.

"Captain Leonov, we're ready. We've got a sniper and browning up on the second story to provide cover. You're having these two provide cover as well?" Spiers gestured to Sasha and Saya.

"Da. We're going to need one big punch to break through this defense..."

"Alright... Sergeant Hill, assist Corporal Olinova and Sergeant Häyhä. Everyone else will proceed with the assault."

For the three marksmen, they all displaced to find a better location on the street. For Jane, she was surprised to see the small Suomous sniper carry her heavy L-39 around, especially with only the standard bipod. As for the others, the tensions was rising for the initial assault. Everyone was ready, but there was still nervousness and excitement in the air as each and every infantry witch and soldier gazed at the enemy. They had a few hours to fully take control of this airfield.

Spiers gave a thumbs up towards Hathcock's group, then to Häyhä's. It was only a few seconds before Saya and Hathcock fired in synchronization, followed by Sasha and Jane. A heavy neuroi received the attack, staggering before a bullet took out it's core. The other neuroi faced where the shots came from with angry shrieks, but received the bad end of Danny's M2 Browning, then the entire force of the 45ht and 52nd.

The red and green tracers raced towards their target in an impressive light show, with destroyed neuroi showering onto the ground. Miasma beams were fired back in retaliation, but a wall of magical shields deflected such attacks.

"Alex, Jackie, Jessie, and Francia, follow me!" Nona yelled.

"Everyone else, covering fire!" Captain Leonov roared.

The five infantry witches charged the neuroi across the bridge. Neuroi ants began to charge at them while neuroi turtles began to suppress their efforts to cross the bridge. The sister team of Nona and Alex provided their shields as they charged, deflecting miasma beams. Neuroi ants charged at them with rage. Francia used her StG44 to quickly deal with them, firing quick bursts into each one that got close. While she placed and chambered a fresh new magazine in, Nona, Jackie, and Jessie charged the remaining neuroi that stood between them and the airfield.

The offensive push plowed a gap through the remaining neuroi. Nona and Jackie fired off bursts to unfortunate ants that tried to charge them, leaving them in pieces. For Jessie, her Winchester M12 shotgun took out neuroi with ease, with one shot for one neuroi. Anything else that stood was left to the snipers and other infantry, which decimated the heavy neuroi with combined fire. Nona gave a vertical sweep with her leg and sent a neuroi ant stumbling before it received a face full of lead. Turning around, she gave a wave: the okay to push forward.

"Alright, let's go!" Spiers said. He was the one who led the charge, followed by everyone else.

A row of witches and infantrymen stormed the bridge. Shields were propped up to create an almost impenetrable defense as they rushed the few neuroi that stood in their way. One by one, the neuroi that held the bridge were no more as their crystallized remains were crushed by the rush of boots that stormed the airfield.

The airfield itself held small resistance of neuroi, which the big landing strip had small pockets of land neuroi amongst the ruins of former Luftwaffe planes and ground crew vehicles. Lasers cut through the ground to strike the witches, but all were deflected. For Jackie, Nona, Alex, and Jessie, their group went for the neurified anti-air emplacements, which were still concentrated on the night witches in the air. Jackie took lead, brandishing her broadsword once more to cut the barrel of one neuroi gun followed by Jessie giving it a warm welcome of 12-gauge shotgun. Nona and Alex attacked two more emplacements, throwing anti-armor grenades at one while finishing off another with their combined firepower. Alex took quick care of the fourth, and final, emplacement, firing the remained of her clip at the neuroi, who couldn't traverse its barrel of the gun in time.

"Emplacements are down. We've got flak-free skies now!" Nona exclaimed to her CO's.

Captain Leonov flashed a grin while he fired his Mosin-Nagant. These neuroi were easy pickings compared to the fighting in Volvograd and Kursk.

"Good work, Starshina! Let's bring these neuroi bastards to hell!"

"You heard the man," Spiers followed. "Easy pickings here. Let's wrap this up."

* * *

In the clouds above, the three witches have been flying around Bremerhaven for the past two hours. While the flak was relentlessly (and hopelessly) firing at them, there was no other neuroi activity in the air. It was the fighting below that caught their eyes as they watched the progress of the infantry witches on the ground as they flew. It was both an intense and amazing sight to see the effectiveness of these Joint Recon Squadrons who they have never heard of before.

"*_This is Wardog. Neuoi flak guns have been neutralized. We're beginning to clean up the remaining neuroi on the airfield._*"

"Understood." Heide replied. She watched the heated firefight below, with flashes of miasma and gunfire striking the ground, only accompanied with the occasional white flash of a destroyed neuroi.

"They almost have the airfield." Sanya replied.

"Seems like it." Eila said. She stretched her arms a bit. "We've almost reached our limit for the mission, ma'am. We should radio for that Brittainian landing force and head back."

Heide gave a nod back. In the distance, the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon as day was nearing. Heide was ready to return and inform the Brittainian engineers that they can proceed to land. Another squad of witches would take their place in the skies to watch over the ground forces.

"I guess we must." Heide said. She began to transmit her message to the radio operator on the ground.

"This is Major Schnaufer. We are running low on magical reserves and will have to return-"

Heidemarie and Sanya detected something below. It was large. The size of the supposed neuroi made her stop while Sanya was busy trying to detect the hidden neuroi.

"Major, do you sense it too?" Sanya asked.

"I do. It's close." Heide's face was giving off some worry.

"Sense what?" Eila asked.

"A neuroi. Very big one too."

"Is it up here with us?"

"No... it's not airborne. I'm detecting it below us."

"Below us? But I don't see anything but the neuroi down there."

"Could they be interrupting our signals?" Sanya asked. The neuroi had that possibility. After all, one did mimic her wave patterns before. Making false signals can be another one of the neuroi's tricks.

"Possibly... But..." Heide hesitated to answer, unsure what this all meant and or whether to warn the infantry witches on the ground.

It was then when an eerie red glow came from the waters below.

* * *

On the ground, Audrey was confused with the sudden cutoff from Major Heidemarie Schnaufer. At first, she though the radio antennae was tangled, but once she deduced that her equipment was properly working she tried to reconnect once more.

"Major Schnaufer, this is Wardog. Can you repeat you transmission, over?" All she got back was silence.

"Major Schnaufer this is Wardog. Can you-"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake as the river began to glow red. Even on the second story, the foundation was wavering from whatever the source was.

"What's going on?" Danny exclaimed.

"I got no clue..." Hathcock said. "...but I sure in hell don't like it..."

A rush of water began to disperse as Audrey witnessed something massive crawl from the river and onto the bridge. It's appearance was that of a massive crab, looming at around forty meters tall and having a thick build. The solid concrete bridge below it seemed to buckle under it's weight. Where the pincers of a crab would be, it had pincer-like appendages that glowed red. While most of it was covered in muck and algae, the notable haxagonal design and glowing red pattern indicated one thing for sure. It was a neuroi.

"Is that a neuroi?!" Danny exclaimed.

"Shit! Where the hell did it come from?!" Hathcock joined in. He immediately began to aim and fire are the massive heavy-class neuroi. His bullets were only ricocheting off of its thick hull.

The three other marksmen on the ground began to fire at it. Yet, even with Saya's 20mm rounds, it only chipped the surface of the neuroi. Unfazed, the neuroi gave off a low-pitched shriek, almost resembling a growl that echoed through the empty town. It's pincers began to glow red.

And they were aimed right at the building that Audrey was in.

"Oh crap..." Danny said with wide eyes. Audrey didn't move, frozen with disbelief.

"Jump out!" Hathcock yelled.

For Audrey, everything went in slow motion as she raced towards Hathcock and Danny, who were already leaping from the second story to the ground. Without a second thought, she leapt from the second story as the building behind her exploded from a hot beam of miasma. She tried to shield herself, but the explosion propelled her into the ground. She hit the ground hard, feeling immediate pain overwhelming her head as she tumbled upon the ground in a dizzying toss. Laying on the ground, she weakly casted a glance at the heavy neuroi while the voices of people calling her name began to grow dull.

Everything began to fade away in a blur. Before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was the building reduced to a burning heap. After that, she was enveloped with darkness.

* * *

For Fran, it was all a quick blur. She watched the massive neuroi crawl from the river and onto the bridge. She witnessed the bullets from the others ricochet off into the water before a massive beam of miasma was fired in retaliation. Then she saw Audrey propelled into the air to then be slammed into the ground in a limp, lifeless state. Not moving. Not getting up and indicating that she was fine. Just limp on the ground. It was horrible to watch.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"Dammit, how did it flank us?!"

"We're cut off!"

Everyone fired at the massive neuroi from both sides of the river. Nothing seemed to be working as the heavy neuroi turned to face the witches on the airfield. With a loud screech, it fired a big beam, exploding near the squad. The violent explosion shook her, but Fran was frozen in shock.

"Nothing's working!" Jackie exclaimed. "It's armor is too thick!"

"It's getting ready for another attack! Displace!" Leonov ordered.

Everyone scrambled out of cover as the heavy neuroi fired another shot towards them. However, Fran was still entranced by her lifeless friend. She watched as Lieutenant Hathcock was shaking her to wake up, which was proving futile. She was unaware that she, herself, was in danger.

"Christen!"

Fran woke back into reality in a cold sweat as she came face to face with a massive beam of miasma. Hastily, she propped up her shield to deflect the full brunt of the beam. The force of the neuroi beam was unimaginable as she struggled to deflect the entirety of it. In exhaustion, she was pushed back, violently skidding across the ground. Fran quickly got up, bruised up but fine.

"Fran!" Wilma ran to the Karlsland witch and quickly got her to cover before another beam ripped through the tarmac.

"Are you alright?" Wilma began to take an assessment of Fran for any injuries, but Fran dissuaded her.

"I'm... fine... just a bit bruised, nothing too bad..." Fran wheezed while she wiped the sweat from her brow. However, something else awoke in the back of Fran's head.

"Audrey! She's hurt! We-"

"Fran, we can't do anything." Wilma spoke, yet Fran didn't want to hear it.

"We can't leave her there! She's badly injured!"

"I know we can't leave her, but the bridge is blocked! There's no way to get to her!"

"I'm not going to let her die!"

Wilma was silent as Fran stared at her with a face full of frustration and guilt. For Fran, she had lost so much. Her homeland was taken by the neuroi in a swift and brutal attack. Her mother was lost in the evacuation, assumed dead. Fran will never know her mother's fate. And now, upon her home soil, she was going to lose her friend to the neuroi.

"We got to try... we've come this far now..." Fran solemnly said. "I'm not going to give up on her."

"Who said we were?"

"Huh?"

"Who said we're going to give up? While this neuroi may be tougher than anything we've fought, I know we can beat it. However, rushing in blindly will only get more people injured... or worse." Wilma watched Fran carefully as she continued to speak.

"We're infantry witches. We are the best of the best. We have to be. For all of those who are counting on us, we have to perform the best."

Fran was surprised to hear Wilma boldly talk to her, usually used to Wilma's meek and soft-spoken personality. But her words were true to her. It made her think about the big picture amidst the chaos for a moment. For Audrey's sake, she can't fail her.

"Yeah... you're right... thanks Wilma."

Another miasma beam cut through the ground near them, making a big explosion in the river and causing the two witches to wince.

"Christen and Crecy, you two okay?" Spiers called out behind a weathered-out Panzer IV.

"We're fine! It just was a bit too close for comfort!"

"Good. Get your heads in the game. We got to take out this S.O.B!"

"Yes sir!"

"This whole thing is armored from head to toe! I have no idea where it's weak spot is!" Nona yelled. Her bursts from her LMG proved to only chip away the neuroi's armor, which were quickly being regenerated in seconds.

"The neuroi is regenerating too quickly! We'll run out of ammo before we could make a sizable dent in the thing!"

From across the bridge, the marksmen group kept pounding at the neuroi. The heavy chatter of Danny's M2 and Saya's L-39 caught the neuroi off guard and made it loose it's footing briefly. In retaliation, another beam was directed towards them, causing a block of houses behind them to explode in a cloud of debris.

"If we don't take this thing out, the others won't stand a chance!" Jackie yelled. "Any suggestions, sir?"

"Captain Leonov, one of your corporals has a magical eye ability?"

"Da."

"Try to contact her to locate the core. We just gotta hold on till we could find a weak spot!"

"Your radio-witch is down, though. We'll have to make haste. Crossing that bridge seems like the only option."

"Right. I'm not letting that bastard neuroi get one of my witches. Contact Lieutenant Hathcock."

To their surprise, a massive explosion shook the ground as two rockets made their mark on the heavy neuroi. A cry echoed out from the neuroi as one of its legs was blown off. As it began regenerating, in scrambled into the river to hide from another round of rockets and machine gun fire from the sky. The night witches zoomed overhead before circling the area once more.

"*_This is Officer Litvyak. We'll assist you in attacking the neuroi, but were running low on magical reserves. We'll try to buy you some time for you to find the core._*"

"Understood." Leonov replied. "Nona, take Sergeant Crecy, Gratwick, and Gordon across the river while the neuroi's distracted."

"Understood!"

The four witches sprinted across the bridge as a series of rockets and gunfire rained into the river. Beams would jet out of the river and into the sky as the neuroi traversed the riverbank with surprising speed. Nona and Penelope were the first to make it across. As Jessie and Wilma ran across, the entire bridge began to shake as the water around sloshed in a panicked frenzy. It was to the awe of everyone that the massive neuroi leapt into the air with a newly restored leg and landed almost atop of Jessie and Wilma. Both witches stumbled out of the way as the heavy neuroi crashed onto the bridge with a thunderous boom, buckling the solid concrete below.

"Well... erm... shit..." Jessie cursed nervously as the neuroi tried to squash the two witches with its appendages.

Both witches rolled to the side as the neuroi made a large crater from where they stood. Both ran under the neuroi as fast as they can and straight towards the end of the bridge. The neuroi was not content with its attempt to finish the two witches as it fired a hot beam of miasma towards the two. Jessie dodged the beam. However, Wilma felt the force of the beam bear down upon her as it tore through the concrete beside her, exploding a cloud of debris as she hastily propped up her shield and was sent flying.

"Crecy!" Jessie shouted in horror.

Wilma grudgingly tried to get up and onto her feet as she did her best to ignore her painful landing onto solid concrete. Bruised, she looked in horror as the neuroi was reading another beam of miasma straight for her.

"Not on my watch, you bastard!"

Captain Spiers charged from the opposite side. As a commanding officer of his squad, he wasn't going to let any of his witches die. With bravery, he charged straight for the neuroi with an anti-armor grenade in hand. He chucked it with all his might towards the neuroi's leg. In a flash, the grenade exploded, taking out one of its legs as the neuroi fired off a beam. Unbalanced, the aim of the neuroi was thrown off, causing a section of a neighborhood to be torn apart and bypassing Wilma. While the neuroi was once again regaining its balance, Jessie took the opportunity to get Wilma onto her feet and get her to the other side safely. Spiers ran to the other side as well, to the amazement of everyone.

"Your commanding officer is one brave man..." Captain Leonov said.

"Or crazy..." Alex said.

"We like to say he's both..." Jackie said. "That's why we like him so much..."

On the other side, Wilma ran to Audrey. Hathcock and Danny were the ones tending to her. Wilma scrambled to the side of Audrey to see the extent of her injuries. It wasn't looking to good.

Unconscious, Audrey's forehead was bruised and bleeding. A trickle of blood was dripping down the side of her mouth and nose. Lacerations to her arm tore bits of her uniform and gave gashes and scrapes that were slowly soaking through the improvised bandages that Hathcock was applying to keep Audrey from bleeding out. But Wilma knew there were more pressing injuries. Audrey was also suffering internal bleeding from the hard impact to the ground along with a possible concussion. She was the only one that can treat them on-site. Otherwise, there was no telling if Audrey could survive under her present conditions.

Wilma's face grew serious as she began the healing process. Her body began to glow blue as she poured her magical strength to heal Audrey's body. It was tiring, but Wilma persisted through. In the corner of her eye, she saw the heavy neuroi begin to stand up, but felt the explosions of rockets go off as the night witches began another barrage against the neuroi to keep it at bay for a little while longer. Everyone was beginning to resume fire in another desperate attempt to stall it.

"Corporal Olinova!" Spiers yelled amidst the gunfire. He beckoned her to come towards him. Sasha ran with urgency and stopped by his side.

"Sir?"

"Do you have a location on the core of that neuroi?"

"Yessir. The core is located towards the bottom of the main body. I observed that the armor underneath is the weakest, but it's going to require a lot of force to hit the core. And it's going to difficult to get it to expose it's weak spot."

Another barrage of rocket fire hit the heavily-armored neuroi, followed by a return of lasers directed at the night witches. One laser hit the ATC of the airfield, causing it to crumble down into debris.

"Sir, you have a plan?"

"Yes. Get me the radio. This might be our only shot."

* * *

In the Brittainian Channel, four transport ships were sailing towards Karlsland accompanied by the Brittainian Battleship HMS Royal Sovereign and Karlsland Battleship Gneisenau. Aboard, four companies of Royal Engineers waited as the boats set sail for the port town of Bremerhaven. The news of two squads elite soldiers who were to clear the town baffled normal procedures. Often, it would take heavy bombardment from sea and air and a bigger landing force of eight to fifteen transport ships to ensure a successful capture from the coast, if not also a few squadrons of witches to ensure victory. The idea of just two squads of soldiers able to take out a neuroi stronghold was a joke at best, insane at worst. That was what the Brittainian Admiral who commanded this operation thought. But the insurance of the top brass kept him to have faith in this operation, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. He watched from the bridge of his ship, waiting for news as the sun began to rise from the horizon.

"Captain?" He called out with a firm voice.

"Yes sir?" A rather young, non-seasoned captain answered.

"Any news of the operation with the elite squad?"

"Few sir. Radio transmission reports that the mission is still underway. No other news besides that."

"Interesting... we'll maintain course. We should arrive on shore by the hour. Keep me posted from command. And tell the landing party to prepare."

"Yes sir."

The ocean was eerily calm. He associated this with the "calm before the storm". All he hoped was for a successful mission with few casualties. Landings like this always resulted with insurmountable losses due to the neuroi.

He hoped that this elite squad of soldiers was what they were worth according to what the brass have led him to believe. Otherwise, many lives were going to be lost today.

* * *

"Captain Spiers, are you sure this will work?" Captain Leonov questioned on his small portable radio. The neuroi was once again being suppressed in the waters of the river by the combined efforts of the night witches and infantry witches.

"This is the best option we have. We don't have the firepower to take in out head on."

"But coordinating an attack with the night witches on the spot? This has to be a first..."

"Everything has to start somewhere."

"You're a crazy man, Captain. Maybe it's a Liberion thing... Alright, let's get this over with." Captain Leonov began to radio the night witches above.

"This is Grizzly. We have located the core, but will need precise air support in order to immobilize the neuroi."

"*_Um... understood, Grizzly. But be aware, we are on the last leg of our magical reserves. We only have one shot to perform this, so we'll do our best._*

"We'll sync our attack with yours. Just wait on my command. Out." Leonov turned to the witches with him.

"Sergeant Christen, you have that panzerfaust?"

"Uh, yes sir. Why?"

"Captain Spiers entrusts you that you can take out the neuroi."

"Sir?! But-"

"Spiers said that you have the ability to strengthen your weapon's capabilities. Furthermore, Sasha has located the core to be towards the bottom of its body, where the armor should be the weakest."

"Sir, you sure that would work?" Nona asked. "We still don't know if that's enough."

"Yeah, even the night witch's rockets were barely able to take that thing out. This will be a big risk." Alex said.

"It's our best shot, Starshina. Otherwise..." To their surprise, Francia spoke out.

"I understand... I'll do it. This can be the only way we an take it out. I'll do my best."

"Don't think you're doing this alone, misha. Sergeant Okatsu, accompany Sergeant Christen when the attack begins. Everyone else, let's make sure this bastard stays down, da?"

A chorus of agreement came from the 52nd. With a satisfied grin, Captain Leonov grabbed the radio to signal the attack.

"Attention, this is Grizzly. We're beginning the attack. Night witches, immobilize that neuroi so we can get close to it."

"*_Understood. We're going for one more attack run._*"

In the air, the night witches streaked across the sky. The sky illuminated with the launch of rockets as they pelted the neuroi with an array of explosions, the neuroi screeched with fury and pain as two of it's legs were decimated from the brutal attack, causing it to fall on the ground with its underside exposed. Thrashing around, the neuroi was helpless as it tried to gain it's footing while all the witches and infantry let loose with their weapons to inflict more damage.

"*_This is Major Schnaufer. We are returning back to base. You are on your own now. We wish you luck! Out._*"

"Understood. Grizzly out." Leonov looked towards Fran and Yuki.

"Now!"

Immediately, the two witches rushed the heavy neuroi. The neuroi sensed the two witches coming closer and tried to fire a beam of miasma, but the two dodged the beams as it flew past them. However, the neuroi's efforts to regenerate were quickly returning the form of its legs. Yuki acted fast, knowing what to do. She ran ahead of Fran to intercept the neuroi. Her aura glowed blue while her breath became cold and condensed. Quickly, she drew her katana and jabbed it into the neuroi while she yelled out a chant.

"**Hisame!**" In a split second, ice jetted out of the ground and trapped the bottom half of the neuroi. The regeneration of the neuroi was halted as the neuroi flailed helplessly, attached to the ground with no means of escape.

"Sergeant Christen, now!" Yuki called out.

Yuki backed off while Fran pulled out her panzerfaust and aimed it directly at the center of the exposed underside. Concentrating all her magic, the panzerfaust in her hand glowed blue. For her, this was the moment of truth. Everyone counted on her. Her teammates. Her country. Audrey.

"Für Karlsland!" Fran yelled.

Hitting the trigger, the panzerfaust propelled out of the tube with amazing force and struck into the neuroi. With a bigger, magical-induced explosion, the firepower of the rocket penetrated the neuroi and reached the core. To the awe of everyone, the neuroi began to glow a dazzling white, brighter than any other destroyed neuroi. Fran and Yuki quickly propped up their shields before the neuroi exploded into a dazzling display of white and silver shards that settled onto the ground like rain before vanishing.

'I... did it...' Fran was stunned by her work while she tried to breathe normally. 'I can't believe it...'

She was scared the entire time. Scared not only for herself, but for the others as well. Fear was in her from the moment she charged her enemy to the final action of pulling the trigger. But, in the end, she did it. She managed to take out the massive, heavy neuroi with a single shot. The same one...

...that attacked Audrey...

...Audrey...

'_AUDREY!_'

Fran realized about her injured friend across the bridge. In panic, she ran across the bridge to where Audrey was being taken care of by Wilma, Hathcock, and Spiers while most of the witches ac. Her mind was in a frightful jumble as she came to the side of Wilma to see about Audrey's condition. On the ground, Wilma did her best to heal while everyone could only watch from the sidelines. Her bloodied forehead and scraped arms were wrapped with bandages while Wilma was healing Audrey's midsection.

"Wilma, is Audrey alright?" Fran spoke with frantic fear. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Wilma did her best reassuring face for the Karlsland witch.

"Y-Yes. Her internal and head injuries are healed, so she's no longer in danger anymore."

"But... how come she's not awake?" Wilma's mood changed. Fran could tell that there was more to Audrey's condition.

"Wilma?"

No response.

"Sergeant Crecy," Hathcock demanded. "Is there anything else that's affecting Sergeant Cosens?"

Wilma uneasily knelt there, trying to avoid Fran's gaze. But she couldn't hold back the news much longer as everyone watched her. She struggled to speak, but decided that she couldn't hold it in. This was something more serious.

"Audrey is in a coma due to her head trauma." Fran didn't know what to say. She was almost speechless until she gave a desperate sense of hope.

"B-But... she'll be fine? She'll wake up soon? I-I mean... She will wake up... right, Wilma?"

"I-I... I'm not sure... We can only wait until she shows signs of recovery... I'm sorry... I wish I could've done more..." Wilma held her head low.

Fran didn't know what to do. It felt as if her efforts to destroy the neuroi were all in vain. The destroyed neuroi wouldn't change the injuries that Audrey sustained, just like Wilma said. There was no one, or thing, to be angry in response. Nothing could be done at this point. She felt helpless. Fran could only watch Audrey's unconscious state with no ability to help.

"The best we could do now is to wait for the landing party..." Spiers said with a sigh. Even he hated the cards he was dealt.

"Everyone, let's set up a perimeter. We're on our own till the landing party reaches here." Leonov ordered. Everyone nodded, but a heavy atmosphere was still present as everyone went off to perform their assigned tasks.

Fran could only hope that Audrey would wake up. She clung to that hope tightly as she stood in this battlefield. The only good she saw from this outcome came from the sunrise, casting over them all.

* * *

**An end to this chapter! What shall happen to our beloved Farawaylander? And how will the campaign into Karlsland go, with the momentum ever-so continuing? More things to come!**

**Also, as I gave the backgrounds of the Olinova siblings of the 52nd Saboteur Corps in the previous chapter, I shall continue with the rest of the squad's background information.**

_**Sergeant Saya Häyhä**_

Country of Origin: Sumous

Age: 16

Branch of Military: Sumous Infantry Regiment 34 (White Guard)

Rank: Kersantti Sergeant (Sergeant)

Role in Squad: Sniper

Weapons: L-39 Anti-neuroi rifle, Torakev Pistol

Magical Ability: Time-Space Manipulation (allows her to slow time, allowing her to both gain situational understanding and have a combat advantage. Because this is a heavily magic-consuming ability, she only uses it in special circumstances in short bursts, preventing total exhaustion on her body)

Familiar: Tundra Vole

Background:

_Saya grew up in a small town in the outskirts of Sumous, surrounded by the arctic forests and snowy plains. Her house overlooked the town. Being a small child, she stood out too much for being different. Because of these factors, she didn't spend much time with the children of her town and was often secluded from them. This gave her a shy personality. Nonetheless, her shy personality didn't hinder her love for the outdoors and her exploration of the forest around her. It helped even more that her father was a hunter. Through her father, she learned how to hunt with the simple Mosin-Nagant that he owned. She grew up to know how to survive the harsh winters that she loved, and appreciated the beauty of Sumous nature. It was her playground._

_Her magical ability awoke when she went hunting with her father at age twelve. As the two stalked prey in the forest, the love of the hunt got the best of her and she ran off to chase her prey despite her father's warnings. Getting lost in the dizzying maze of the forest, she came face-to-face with a bear. At that moment, she became the prey. In panic, Saya fell with her gun out of reach and a charging brown bear after her. Her magical ability manifested, in which she slowed time. At first scared, she took advantage of her new gift to escape the bear and run to safety to eventually find her father. Her father was angry for her leaving his side, relieved for getting back safely, and surprised as he saw his daughter manifesting familiar ears and a tail. Saya was now a witch. From the use of her magical ability, she grew faint and passed out for two days. After her incident, Saya was forbidden to use her magical ability from her father and was forbidden to mention to anyone that she was a witch. But her curiosity would the getter of her and she would practice her abilities in secret._

_As the Second Neuroi War progressed with more countries falling to the neuroi, many people from the region where Saya lived began to evacuate in fear of the neuroi reaching them. But to the surprise of her father, Saya wanted to stay and fight the neuroi. While her father grew angry, he began to reluctantly let Saya go after Saya repeated these words: "I have a gift. This gift can save people. Save Sumous. Even our town. Please, let me fight."_

_Saya tried to enlist to both the Sumous Air Force and Army in their striker programs, but she didn't get through with training for either. Strikers weren't her forte as she lacked the control to maintain one. While her marksman skills were exceptional, nothing else made her stand out to allow her to complete training. Pleading that she could help, the Sumous military began to look at Project Second chance as her viable option. She was then redirected to standard infantry training, where she trained with multiple marksmen rifles and anti-armor rifles. It surprised everyone how she used the L-39, a newly-produced 20mm anti-neuroi rifle, with ease, especially concerning her small stature compared to the heavy load of the gun. From there, she was redirected to the 52nd Saboteur Corps. She gained a fierce reputation amongst standard infantry as the "Arctic Shadow of the North" for her white uniform and her skilled marksmanship (and possibly her small stature, which annoys her). She participated in the Battle of Volvograd and Kursk in Orussia, two major battles in the Eastern Front that led to the neuroi slowly seceding from Orussia._

_In her unit, she is still the shy and quiet person she was before. Initially, she was mistaken for a very young witch despite her age being sixteen, all due to her short stature. But she is warmly welcome in the squad and is seen as the "cute, innocent Sumoi teddybear of the squad" by most of her teammates, to which she responds with embarrassment. Corporal Sasha has a good relationship with her due to being spotter and sniper on many occasions. Sergeant Yuki Okatsu has grown fond of the Sumous witch, both sharing quiet personalities. Furthermore, Yuki's "hidden love" for cute things has led for Saya being embraced and adored by Yuki (leading to a lot of blushing and embarrassment on Saya's part)._

(Based of of Simo Häyhä, the world's top-scoring sniper with a record of over 500 confirmed kills)

_**Sergeant Yuki Okatsu**_

Country of Origin: Fuso

Age: 17

Branch of Military: Imperial Fuso Army

Rank: Gunso (Sergeant)

Role in Squad: Assault

Weapons: Type 4 Rifle (Semi-automatic rifle made under Fuso-Liberion cooperation), Type 94 Nambu Pistol, Type 91 Grenade, Katana

Magical Ability: Hisame (Fuso for "Frozen Rain". Can create ice through touching surfaces along with freezing enemies in a block of ice. In turn, this cools down her temperature. Says a chant just like Perrine's Tonnerre.)

Familiar: Akita

Background:

_Yuki grew up in Kyoto, the former ancient capital of Fuso. She came from a prestigious military family and was brought up with heightened military knowledge. She practiced Kendo at an early age and was raised upon the teachings of honor and duty from her father, who was a Fuso Army Colonel. Her magical potential was discovered when practicing Kendo, which only further went into her training as a newly-found witch. Combined with the many films about the Fuso Sea incident that had many Fuso girls wanting to be witches, Yuki adored to join the military. It was soon that her father enlisted her into a military academy to become a future military witch._

_Her time in the academy led her to gain praise as a top student, where she mastered military discipline and tactics. She performed well in physical training, strategy and tactics, sword fighting, and marksmanship. But it was when she began her training in a striker unit where things went south._

_Despite her best efforts, Yuki wasn't able to fully grasp the use of a striker unit, not able to become one with it. After her first class graduated without her, she was repeated again into the striker unit course, only to result in failure. She was distraught by her inability to use a striker unit. It was worse for her father, who took her training seriously. Because of her failure, her father became furious. In haste, anger, and disappointment, she was branded dishonorable by her fther and shunned for it. This was what broke Yuki. Because of this, she became quiet and reserved, unable to gain the courage and desire she once had._

_However, the brass saw her potential. With Project Second Chance, the Fuso Army decided to send Yuki as their test candidate for the program, hoping that her talent would be of better use. She performed outstanding in the program, and gained the reputation she deserved. She was sent to the 52nd Saboteur Corps, where she fought in Volvograd and Kursk, which proved to be perfect for her magical ability and demonstrated her prowess. However, she still kept her quiet personality due to her branded dishonor from her family, feeling that she still needed to gain back the honor that she lost._

_In the squad, she says little and mostly keeps to herself, making her mysterious figure. However, everyone knows her care and support for her teammates through her selfless actions and her few words on the battlefield. The only close relationship she has in the squad is with Saya, whom the two share light conversations with. Also, she has a secret fondness for cute things, which is why she is attracted towards Saya. Saya is often the target for her affection (hugs and petting), which embarrasses Saya fully. She guards this secret closely, feeling that the serious reputation she has would shatter and she would die of embarrassment. Despite this, everyone knows about her attraction to cute things, which Yuki hasn't picked up on yet._

_**Lance Corporal Jessie Gordon**_

Country of Origin: Australis

Age: 15

Branch of Military: Australis Expeditionary Force (Under Britainian Command)

Rank: Lance Corporal

Role in Squad: Assault

Weapons: Winchester M12 shotgun, Sten Submachine Gun, No.73 Anti-Armor Hand Grenade

Magical Ability: Shield Strengthening (Stronger shield, which can be used as a "battering ram" in offensive charges)

Familiar: Koala

Background:

_Jessie grew up in the city of Sydney, but spent a good portion of her childhood in the Outback regions of Australis at her Grand-Aunt's during visits. The outdoor became a playground for her as she loved to roam around and play. She watched the starry nights and the rising sunsets at her Aunt's abode. She grew accustomed to the rougher way of life in the outback than the city life within Sydney, making her more of a tomboy. Even more interesting to her was her Aunt's history. She listened to stories about her Grand-Aunt being a witch during the First Neuroi War, which she was part of the first combat witches, using broom-like contraptions in the European Theatre to fight off the neuroi. She grew a strong admiration for her Grand-Aunt, wanting to follow her footsteps someday if she were to ever be a witch._

_The day that Jessie got her magical abilities was a rather odd one. For her, most of it was a hazy mystery with mixed-up details, but she remembers rummaging around the storage shed of her Grand-Aunt's, when a bright flash of light came, revealing her shield propped in front of her along with a pair of Koala ears and tail on her body. And a rather, damaged shed. She never knew what caused the situation, but it was a surprise to her Grand-Aunt to find her with magical abilities. Jessie likes to tell her story with more action and danger to make it exciting, but everyone knows it isn't as she says._

_The news of the Second Neuroi War reached her along her fifteenth birthday, to which she got the courage to enlist as a witch. However, Jessie never felt the interest of the Striker units accompanied by her lack of magical control onto the machines. But due to the demand for witches on Australis's part, Australis enrolled into Project Second Chance and Jessie became one of three members in the program (one of the other three being Penelope Gratwick). With the memories of her Grand-Aunt in mind, she worked hard in her training under the Australis Expeditionary Force and was sent to the 52nd Saboteur Corps. She participated in the Battle of Volvograd and Kursk, where she used her shield as a battering ram to allow a frontal assault upon a group of land neuroi despite being under heavy fire._

_Her personality is rather rough around the edges, sometimes cursing and being (too) relaxed. She is the youngest in the squad and she has a love for the outdoors and enjoys playing games and chatting around with the other witches in her squad, which can lead to attributes to being a bit o a child (with a dirty mouth). She is friends with Penelope and Nona, which she looks at both of them as older sisters/role models. She also likes to tell stories about her (mis)adventures in the Australis outback, which can get out of hand at times._

(Based off of James Gordon, recipient of the Victoria Cross in WWII)

_**Corporal Penelope Gratwick**_

Country of Origin: Australis

Age: 17

Branch of Military: Australis Expeditionary Force (Under Britainian Command)

Rank: Corporal

Role in Squad: Assault

Weapons: Lee Enfield, Sten Submachine Gun, No.73 Anti-Armor Hand Grenade

Magical Ability: Shield Strengthening (Stronger shield, which can be used as a "battering ram" in offensive charges)

Familiar: Kangaroo

Background:

_Penelope grew up in Canberra, living a normal life. She went to school, had friends, and did many normal things that girls would do. Except hang out at the local military base._

_Penelope grew fascinated about the Australis Military. She constantly visited to hang out with the many soldiers and officers there during her summer breaks, becoming one with the thriving military community. She helped out with the infantrymen, chatted with the mechanics, and got to see some of the witches try out their Striker units. She became a famed local figure at the base, which brought joy to many stationed there. And, in secret, Penelope developed her magical ability there too under one witch stationed there._

_As the neuroi war in Europe was heightening, many people from base were shipped off to fight, including the witch that mentored her. The base grew lonelier each visit, while Penelope heard the horrible news of the neuroi decimating one country after another. That was when she decided to enlist._

_At the time, Australis was beginning their enlistment into Project Second Chance, and decided to pick a random witch candidate to participate into the batch. Penelope happened to be that choice. With infantry training under the Australis Army along with the teachings of her mentor, she became a recognized, skilled infantry witch. Shipped off to Orussia, she fought with the 52nd on numerous missions. Her skills on the battlefield rivaled Nona's, and she became a "third-in-command" for the squad. Her skills were especially shown in the Battle of Volvograd, where she saved a company of Orussian infantry while leading Jessie and Alexandra to halt the impending neuroi force of neuroi turtles from reaching the capital building and cutting off the 22nd Orussian Red Guard from other units in the city._

_In the squad, she is nice and kind. She loves to help others in the squad, from cooking to equipment checks, being the second "mother" alongside Nona. She also disciplines Jessie for her crude language, which Jessie reacts with fear from the sudden serious (and scary) tone Penelope can give off. Nonetheless, she is great friends with the other Australis witch, viewing her as a little sister._

(Based off of Gordon Gratwick, recipient of the Victoria Cross in WWII).

_**Captain Alexander Leonov**_

Country of Origin: Orussia

Age: 20-to-30-ish(?)

Branch of Military: Orusian Red Guard

Rank: Captain

Role in Squad: Commanding Officer

Weapons: Mosin-Nagant Rifle, PPsH Submachine gun, Tokarev Pistol, Anti-Armor Grenades, Combat Knife

Background:

_Little is known about the Orussian Captain of the 52nd Saboteur Corps. It is known that he grew up in a small town in the borders of Orussia and Ostmark, but the details of his past are vague. He enlisted into the Orussian Red Guard as the neuroi war brewed and became a skilled soldier. However, little is known about his combat experience. It is rumored that he once singlehandedly took out a neuroi turtle with his combat knife and a pair of anti-armor grenades. Other rumors point out that he led a charge against the neuroi despite being outnumbered, and was successful enough to hold off the neuroi until reinforcements from other units came to assist them, which led to his promotion. However, one thing is for certain: he is a skilled commando. He participated in the first special forces groups in Orussia for training before being re-directed to command the 52nd Saboteur Corps. His command of his squad is strong, leading to an effective assault group._

_His personality is rather easygoing despite his intimidating past and body-shape. He shares a lot of Orussian humor and likes to tell old folk songs he remembers as a kid. He is also someone who will do anything to protect those under his command, which has led to the overall respect and gratitude bestowed upon him from the witches._

**That is all I have for backgrounds on the remaining characters of the 52nd Saboteur Corps! Furthermore, some more info. The "Neuroi Ants" here are what the neuroi appeared to be in the 3rd OVA of Strike Witches (the ones Perrine fought in the Gallian town). If you haven't watched it, I suggest you do to get some insight on what those neuroi look like. Also, I like to try to update this story as much as I can, but life often gets in the way. So I'm going off a loose schedule for this story in terms of updating. I like to give lengthy chapters so that my prolonged absence will be made up for. This chapter has been in the works for a while, so I hope this action-packed chapter makes up for it!**

**Also, anyone getting a Reznov-vibe from Captain Leonov? That's how I feel about him. He's not going to yell about revenge and numbers, though.**

**As for the chapters to come, they will be on the low end of the action spectrum due to how hectic the 45th has been working to fight in this war. After all, even special forces need breaks from time to time. So I'll be going along a relaxed route to get into the day-to-day lives of the witches as the war progresses on, similar to some episodes go in the Strike Witches series.**

**Anyways, I'll see you soon! Adios!**

* * *

"Hey, I heard the 45th were conducting operations in Northern Karlsland." A Karlsland Infantry Witch stated. She rested upon a crate of ammo as she relaxed in the hangars of the base they recently captured. Off time was a welcomed luxury in their line of work. And the base was already occupied by Allied forces, so there was no worry of the neuroi threat for the time being. Hopefully.

"Ah, so the little pups are fighting up north then?" Another Karlsland Infantry Witch replied. She was busy cleaning her steel Wermacht helmet, the camo netting removed for the moment.

"Hey, don't tease them like that. They are a good squad too."

"I know..."

"Besides, the 52nd is also with them up north."

"Really? A joint-operation between the two? Huh, that's a first... Brass must be getting anxious to not let our push into Karlsland go to waste."

"Hey," A Gallian Infantry Witch witch joined. "How do you know this is taking place?"

The Karlsland witch brushed her hair to the side as she manifested her familiar and magical antennae with a smirk.

"Touche..." The Gallian witch replied.

"Well," The other Karlslander spoke. "Let's hope we can end this war."

"Für Karlsland."

"Für Karlsland."

"For Karlsland. And an end to this war too."

* * *

**Okay, now this is goodbye :)**

**See you soon!**


	8. Chapter 8: Rest and Relaxation

**Welcome to another Chapter of Operation Geronimo! As usual, let me get t reviews!**

Jackie: You seem to be in an unusually good mood. What happened?

**Oh, Ill explain later. But for now, let's get to it!**

**_Gamerman22_: True. Special Forces are, well, special forces. They are tasked with the jobs no one can handle, even during World War II. So it is more important to realize their sacrifices that they perform.**

**_Motown Scrapper_: Rough it was. A battle like that is something witches can only pull off. Even then, it was tough.**

Jackie: You can say that again...

**As for Audrey, you'll learn of her fate this chapter.**

**_YuriKohai_: Glad you loved it. Just exactly what I was intending when I showed the Karlsland trio! Thanks!**

**Now, you ready?**

Jackie: Ready as ever!

**Okay. Beam us!**

Jackie: ...what?

**Star Trek?**

Jackie: Different universe.

**Okay then...**

Jackie: You're so weird... you sure you aren't a nutcase?

**Just... never mind...**

* * *

_Chapter 8: Rest and Relaxation_

* * *

"Honey!"

"Mmmhhh... five more minutes..."

"Honey! Please wake up! You only have fifteen minutes to get to school!"

"Eh?"

Audrey sleepily stumbled out of bed to only land face first onto the carpeted floor with a rather loud thud. She croaked out a sleepy groan of pain, hearing the door open.

"Audrey, wake up! You'll be late for school!" Her mother called out.

"Eh?! D-Did I oversleep?"

"Audrey, you've consistently been doing this... wash up, get changed, and get a quick breakfast. You're brother is waiting downstairs."

With quick feet, Audrey left her messy room to take a quick shower. While a bit cold, she breezed through with the donning threat of being tardy for her classes in mind. After all, another excuse wasn't going to let her off the hook with her teacher.

She quickly changed into her shirt, skirt, wool sweater, and brown snow cap before she made a dash downstairs. Almost tripping, she caught herself on the railing while her mother grew worried from her rash behavior.

"Be careful!"

"S-Sorry!"

She hurried downstairs into the restaurant part of their house, which was a simple diner setup. Many tables and booths were laid out in the diner, all empty as the 'closed' sign still hung upon the glass doors. Her dad and brother were sitting at one of the tables, eating their breakfast. Or rather, finishing their breakfast.

"Took you long enough..." Her brother said as he bit into his last sausage. His plate was clear of food.

"Audrey, get settled down and eat quickly. You'll make Daniel and yourself late if you don't leave soon." Her dad said while he took a sip on his coffee. His cook's apron was already on, ready for the morning shift.

"Right, sorry... I've overslept..."

"You keep oversleeping!" Daniel complained. "We've been late for three days straight, y'know!"

"Y-yeah, my bad..."

"C'mon, stop talking you two and finish your breakfast." Her dad ordered.

"Alright..."

Something began to happen as Audrey noticed a slight change in her environment. At first, she didn't pay attention. But, it soon became too present to her. The room began to get brighter every second. The world glowed brighter and brighter every second. Everything seemed to slow down to her as if time was beginning to freeze.

"D-Dad, do you notice anything strange-"

It freaked her out that she saw her dad speaking to her brother, yet no words being audible to her. The conversation fell deaf to her while the room was growing brighter and brighter. She began to panic as the light began to consume the room slowly.

"M-Mom! Dad! Daniel! Anyone!" Her family couldn't hear her. For her the world began to spin as she felt herself grow smaller. The diner began to blur into a kaleidoscope of yellows, reds, browns, and oranges. The surroundings around her became a dizzying painting of light.

Then-

* * *

"H-huh?"

Her surroundings were of an olive green, lightened by the sun's rays. The temperature around her was slightly cold as she heard the slow morning breeze outside, occasionally moving the rather large tent she resided in. Looking down, she saw that her hands were tucked under a white bed sheet. The bed she laid upon was decently comfortable to say the least, but only so much. She felt bandages wrapped around her head, pushing her hair up in order to hug around her forehead. A metal side-table stood empty next to her, separating her from the other bed next to her, which remained empty. In fact, the rows of beds alongside her were all empty. She slowly began to come to her senses that she was in a field hospital.

"Audrey?"

Turning around, she saw a familiar Brittainian redhead with cropped hair. She held a sense of relief on her face.

"Jackie... why am I in a field hospital..."

"Huh? Wait, don't tell me you have amnesia..."

"N-No! I just... wait..."

Suddenly, memories rushed into her head. She felt lightheaded as she began to remember the events. The heavy fighting in Remagen. The neuroi took them by surprise. An explosion. And the feeling of pain before she fell unconscious. Jackie grew worried as Audrey began tapering between consciousness and unconsciousness, sensing she could pass out again in any minute. As a precaution, Jackie held onto the Faraway Lander just in case.

"Woah, Audrey. Are you alright? Look, get some more rest-"

"No... I'm fine... I just remember what happened." Finally getting back to her senses, she grown curious of the situation she was now in.

"What happened after... well... I was knocked out..." Audrey asked hesitantly.

"Well, first of course, we were shocked by both your injured state and the neuroi. It took us a while, and many of us had close encounters, but we managed to defeat it, as you can tell. In fact, it was Fran that finished off the neuroi." Jackie explained.

"Really?"

"Yup. Wilma also risked her life to get to you. We're all thankful she did. You are safe, after all. With only minimal injuries too..."

Audrey saw Jackie's mood change briefly, which made her concerned. Although she sensed that something was bringing bad memories back to Jackie, she couldn't tell what.

"Jackie?"

"Well... just... never mind. Forget that last bit. We were all just worried sick. Especially Fran. She must've taken it the hardest to see you like that, injured and all that." Audrey did feel a pang of guilt for making everyone worry over her, especially Fran.

"I'm sorry for making all of you worry about me."

"Eh? Why are you apologizing? You're the one who was hurt from all this."

"But, I-"

"No buts. No one expected it, and it's especially not your fault. So get some rest. I honestly need some too..." Jackie stretched herself. However, Audrey wanted to ask one more question, but was somewhat hesitant.

"Jackie?"

"Hmm?"

"How long... was I out?" Audrey said with both fear and curiosity in her voice. She awaited the answer with a bit of dread.

"Well..." I took a bit for Jackie to finish her response.

"...for four days..."

Audrey was stunned to hear those words.

"**W-What?! F-Four days?!**"

"Yeah. Wilma wasn't sure why you were unconscious for that long, other than maybe the bang on the head you received." Jackie said, pointing to the bandage on Audrey's forehead. "The medics were also unsure too. But now that you're better, hopefully you can make a full recovery."

"I-I hope so..."

A sudden growling sound emitted into the air while Audrey began to blush from embarrassment. Jackie could only laugh.

"Now that's the Audrey I remember!"

"I-I was unconscious for four days, y'know..." Audrey pouted. Another hungry growl pierced the air. Only this time, it came from Jackie.

"Erm... I-I guess food wouldn't be to bad right now..." Jackie sweatdropped.

On cue, a witch brought in a tray of food. She walked into the field hospital while her boots squeaked on the ground, wet from the snow. The Karlsland Wermacht helmet she usually wore was absent, allowing her caramel, short hair to fall freely, hanging above her shoulders. Audrey could tell that she hadn't noticed her yet as the Karlsland witch was walking towards the metal side-table in order to place the warm food on.

"Sorry for the wait, Sergeant Churchill." Fran spoke, turning around to face Jackie. Oddly, Fran remained oblivious to the presence of an awakened Audrey as she laid the food down on the tray. "The mess line was full of regular infantry, so getting food-"

Fran caught sight of Audrey and was silenced on the spot. Fran stared blankly at Audrey while Jackie's grin grew. It took Fran a moment to put two and two together, constantly looking back and forth between Jackie and Audrey. Jackie could only hold in her mirth while Audrey smiled back and waved a hello. Shaking, she slowly began to put the metal tray full of food onto the side-table without accidentally spilling any of its contents on the ground. It took a few more seconds before Audrey was startled with a tight hug from a surprisingly emotional Francia.

"T-Thank goodness you're awake..." Fran clutched the Faraway Lander tightly. Stunned at first, Audrey returned the hug as the Karlslander held tight.

"Hey Fran. Sorry for worrying you."

"D-Don't say that... I'm just glad you're safe..."

"Well," Jackie began as she stood up. "I'll get going towards the mess hall. I'll leave you two to catch up." With that, Jackie took her leave and left the two alone in the medical tent.

"So... well... how's everything?" Audrey awkwardly spoke .

"Really? That's what you ask first after being in a coma for four days?" Fran questioned her. "Seriously, you don't change, do you?"

"You too? Jackie said a similar thing." Audrey complained with puffed cheeks, yet began to form a smirk. Fran just gave a small smile as she let go of the embrace.

"Everything's fine. No one else was hurt by the neuroi and we captured the entire town. Remagen is now landing site for Allied troops, thanks to all of us." Audrey felt proud to hear those words.

"It feels like we're going to win this war any day now..." Fran spoke with melancholy. Fran realized how she sounded and snapped back into reality.

"R-Right. A-Anyways, everyone's okay. We've been stationed here with the 52nd, and there are so many soldiers passing by through the docks. They even have two battleships at the harbor, accompanied by a fleet of transport and medical ships. As for the base, they've set up temporary living quarters for everyone and they are beginning to repair the airfield. Building some barracks is also what I've heard. Maybe once you're better, I can give you a tour of the layout here."

"That sounds nice. I'll take you up on that then."

An eerie grumble broke the two from conversation, leading to another blush from Audrey as she realized what she was talking to Jackie about earlier.

"Ehehe... erm... do you mind me having that food on that table?" It was Fran's turn to be embarrassed.

"S-Sorry! I-I didn't know you were hungry. That was Sergeant Churchill's, but I'm guessing she wanted you to have it."

With a nod, Audrey picked up the tray and placed it on her lap. Eyeing what appeared to be sliced turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and peas, it didn't take long for Audrey to dig into her first meal she had in four days. Usually, Fran would scorn the Faraway Lander for rather brusque etiquette, but she let it slide as she held in a laugh as she watched Audrey devour her food.

"Again, you don't change..." Fran said with a smug attitude. Audrey ignored the comment, to busy eating her mashed potatoes.

"Well, so the famed appetite of Sergeant Cosens continues to be upheld." Both witches turned around to see none other than Captain Spiers standing by the entrance of the tent.

"Mmmphh ish mumphh sshushh." Audrey 'spoke' with her mouth full, cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk's on the dawn of hibernation.

"Uhhh... Audrey, please don't talk with you mouth full. Especially to the Captain." Fran said, sweatdropping. Audrey realized this with embarrassment, calming down to finish the food in her mouth before talking again.

"S-Sorry sir. Do you need me for anything?"

"I just wanted to see you myself, after what Sergeant Churchill said to me. I'm very glad to see that you have made a speedy recovery under your circumstances. I was just going to tell you that you'll be further checked upon at the medical ship at port just in case."

"Yes sir."

Before stepping out from his brief visit, Captain Spiers said one final thing.

"I'm glad you are alright, Cosens. Get some more rest. You've deserved it."

As Captain Spiers left the medical tent, Audrey was left with her thoughts. She continued her meal with the company of Fran, all the while thinking about the road that was in front of both her and the 45th. Afterwards, she continued her talk with Fran. Yet, the words Fran mentioned earlier stuck in the back of her mind. The end of the war was close, but she felt there was still so much to be done.

* * *

_**1 month later...**_

_Dear Mom, Dad, and Daniel,_

_I've finally gotten the time to write to all of you. I know that it's been a while since I sent a letter back home. If you've heard, the Allies have made a big push into Karlsland. Funny thing, your little daughter (big sister for you, Daniel!) played a role in that. I know you must be worrying, but please don't! I'm safe and sound and this past month I haven't gotten into any danger out here in Europe. So, yay! The place I am currently staying is bustling with troops. So many soldiers and sailors from many countries. Karlsland, Liberion, Brittania, and some even from Fuso! It's like a multi-cultural city here, only with more guns. And tanks. And battleships too._

_Don't worry about how life is here. We get warm meals to eat and nice beds to sleep in. The front has pushed up a bit farther into Karlsland and not as close to where I am now, so no immediate danger here. And my squad-mates are fun to hang around. I'll have to introduce them to all of you, since they are a great group. Maybe once the war is over, we could all visit Europe!_

_The war is coming to an end, I can feel it. Each day, the neuroi get pushed back with the help of everyone here, so I can say that I'll be home soon enough. I miss you all. Even the cooking here can't compare to home's! Daniel, if you read this, I hope you are doing well in school and don't bother mom and dad too much!_

_Wish me luck out there. I love you._

_Yours truly,_

_Audrey_

Putting down the pencil, Audrey gave a long sigh as she sat in her new room. She looked outside towards the harbor, where warships remained docked while transport ship kept dropping off supplies. Somewhere out there, her family was worrying for her safety. Her mom and dad would be tending to the restaurant while her brother was busy at school. She wondered what her brother told to his friends, that she was over here fighting the neuroi. Things like this made her feel homesick. The home-cooked meals and the comfy beds. Her family and friends back home. She wondered if she might need remedial classes since she joined up in the middle of her second year of high school. They were very trivial thoughts to think about considering where she was now, but home felt so close since the continuing push into Karlsland. Yet, it also felt so far away.

It was a month since she was released from her hospitalization in the medic tent. Captain Spiers brought her for a check-up the day of her awakening. She went on the medical ship just in case of anything unusual. To her relief, she was in good health with no lasting injuries or scars. She could thank Wilma for that. Afterwards, it was a week of conditioning to ensure she was still physically able to fight. She conducted her conditioning with no problems and was put under a normal status, "officially" back into the 45th . However, it was to her surprise that their new home base was to become Bremerhaven.

The Royal Engineers, Liberion Army Engineer Corps, and Karlsland Engineers worked full time to restore the airfield to operational condition. Within a week after she was medically released, the base was fully restored with a full staff. It took only another week till they built barracks and a shooting range for them. The equipment from Gallia was transported and the 45th and 52nd officially took Bremerhaven Airfield as their operational headquarters. She was glad to sleep on a bed once more inside an actual building since their departure from Gallia, let alone cook in the new galley (despite cooks being already present). The room she held was shared with Fran in order to conserve space for the two squads to fit. Both squads grew accustomed to their new home as spring finally got rid of the snow to allow for more comfortable, less heavy clothing.

However, she found it odd once she realized that the two recon squads combined only took up the first floor of the two-floored barracks. Then further construction began on renovations to accompany more storage led her to curiously wonder about the status of the base as just a transport lane. Until Fran broke the news to her.

"We're going to house a Joint Fighter Wing here."

"Huh?!" Fran, leaning against the doorway, watched the surprise on Audrey's face.

"Wait, so a Joint Fighter Wing is being stationed here?" Audrey asked. She momentarily put aside her letter and focused on the Karlsland witch.

"Indeed." Fran said. "Captain Spiers and Captain Leonov were just informed by the Air Marshal that a Joint Fighter Wing will be stationed alongside the 45th and 52nd, along with some high-ranking generals flying over here to inspect the base. At least, that's what Lieutenant Hathcock shared with me."

"Why do you think they want a JFW to be stationed here?"

"Lieutenant Hathcock said something about 'wider area of operation' for the JFW's. I heard that the 506th 'Noble Witches' are now stationed in Southern Karlsland, so the higher-ups must be wanting to ensure that we keep our part of Karlsland."

"When are they coming then?" This time, Audrey sensed a bit of nervousness in Fran.

"At... noon..."

"EHHH?!" Audrey was taken aback by the sudden news that she almost fell out of her chair.

"W-Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"B-Because I was too busy getting ready myself! And I did try, but you were asleep!"

Thinking on it, Audrey did remember Fran yelling to her about something this morning, but her tired mind and warm blanket made her fall deaf to Fran's erratic words. That, and she just now noticed Fran was already wearing her full Karlsland Fallschirmjäger uniform with her steel helmet in her hands. In Fran's perspective, Audrey was no way prepared: she wore a beige Liberion Army T-shirt and her Liberion Army slacks. Audrey was immediately regretting to ignore Fran's warning.

"O-Out of curiosity... erm... what time is it...?" Audrey asked nervously.

"1100. We report to the hangars in thirty minutes." Fran deadpanned.

With panic, Audrey began to rush out of the room and towards the showers in order to prepare herself. Fran just sighed as Audrey called out to her.

"Fran! Get my uniform ready ready!"

"That's kinda why I'm here..." Fran sweatdropped.

Fran went to Audrey's locker and rummaged for all of Audrey's needed articles of clothing. In the back of her mind, Fran quietly thought to herself with a sigh.

'_This is just like when we were back in Gallia..._'

* * *

Audrey stood at ease with the rest of the 45th at the hangars, all filed into their ranks. To her right, the 52nd stood. Everyone shouldered their country's standard issued rifles and wore their combat uniforms, all nicely clean and pressed (minus her). Even a battalion of Brittainian and Karlsland MP's and the Engineer Corps were standing at ease, awaiting the special newcomers. While it seemed cool to Audrey that everyone was showing off their best, she did have pestering thoughts about how hot the weather was, despite it being spring. She heard that it was the neuroi's fault for the climate changes. Maybe because of their hives? She did think they would mess up all the clouds in the area, which could explain why the winter lasted longer than usual and why spring came so suddenly.

And now her mind was wandering.

Stretching herself, she focused back on her stance while she glanced towards the front. She saw Captain Spiers and Captain Leonov standing at ease alongside Colonel Johnson and the Captain of the Engineer Corps, while Lieutenant Hathcock and Sergeant Nona Olinova stood behind them. Spiers seemed to quietly converse with Leonov on a subject.

"Hey, look over there." Jackie whispered, nudging Audrey.

At the horizon, Audrey saw what appeared to be three Karlsland transport planes steadily approaching for landing, accompanied by four witches in formation. However, the sun prevented her from getting a better look at the witches to exactly distinguish who they were, let alone what JFW they came from.

"Hey, who do you think they are?" Jackie muttered quietly.

"Maybe the 504th?" Wilma answered with a quiet tone.

"I heard that they have been using jet strikers recently, especially the Karlsland witches." Danny added with a whisper. "Maybe it's one of those new jet fighter wings."

"Shhh!" Fran and Jane shushed in unison, accompanied with their harsh glares. Everyone quieted down immediately and focused back to standing at ease.

The witches were the first to touch down onto the runway, followed by the three transport planes. The screech of rubber on asphalt was heard as the planes slowed down to taxiing speed. The witches were quicker to slow down, coming to a halt and proceeding towards ground crew. The witches docked their strikers onto launch units while the planes began to slowly park themselves in front of the the hangars. With a clear view, Audrey looked over to see who the witches were. One of them was a Fuso witch with short, brown hair that wore the Fuso naval uniform and the traditional blue swimsuit that Fuso Naval witches wore. The witch beside her was a Brittainian witch with her blonde hair was tied into a braid that wore a green sweater and striped stockings. The other two witches, a Liberion and a Romangan, were conversing with each other. The Liberion redhead wore a red Liberion Army Air Corps uniform while the Romangan had jet black hair tied up and wore a white Romanga Aeronautica uniform.

She was staring at Yoshika Miyafuji, Lynette Bishop, Charlotte Yeager, and Francesca Lucchini of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, the Strike Witches.

"That's Sergeant Miyafuji from the 501st!" Danny said in a hurried whisper.

"No way, they're all from the 501st!" Jackie accompanied her.

"The famed 'Strike Witches' are being stationed here..." Jane uttered in disbelief.

Audrey was at a loss for words. The famed Joint Fighter Wing that liberated Gallia and Venezia, along with halting the neuroi offensive in Ardennes was going to be stationed in Bremerhaven. She even heard the excited murmurs of the MP's and engineers. The three planes throttled down as the air around them settled down from the engine's rotor wash. Confirming her thoughts, she saw members of the 501st exit out of the plane and line up along the door entrance of their Ju-52. Audrey saw Lieutenant Hartmann amongst them, wearing that same black Luftwaffe uniform as she did when she was rescued, now tidy and clean. Audrey saw Erica take notice of them and give a small wave before she went back at attention. The members of the 501st snapped salutes as two figures came down the steps of the Ju-52, accompanied with two aides. The voice of the Captain of the Military Police echoed through the hangar.

"Attention! Shoulder Arms!"

Audrey shouldered her carbine on reflex, along with everyone else. The sound of rifles snapping at attention echoed in unison while everyone stood with the utmost silence. It took a while for the two figures to come into better view, but once Audrey got sight of them, she froze stiff.

In front of her were General Adolphine Galland, Commodore of the Witch Corps, and General Donald D. Eisenhower, Commanding General of the European Front.

Everyone watched as the two generals walked towards the Air Marshal. While out of earshot, Audrey saw the two generals converse with the Colonel, then to the Captain of the Engineer Corps. Soon, Captain Spiers and Captain Leonov were talking to two of the most highly-ranked officers of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The two generals seemed to talk longer with the two captains than with anyone else so far, which made Audrey curious of what they were talking about.

"45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad and 52nd Saboteur Corps, may you please step forward?" General Eisenhower said. The two squads were surprised to hear those words from the Commanding General of the Allied Forces.

"45th, single file line up front!" Captain Spiers ordered.

"52nd, single file line up here!" Captain Leonov ordered.

The two squads complied and formed a line in front of the two generals. Everyone snapped their rifles back into formation and waited. For Audrey, she never felt more nervous and excited in her entire life. General Eisenhower walked down the line and inspected the two squads with General Galland close behind doing the same. Everyone tensely stood at attention, all nervous on what to expect next. Eisenhower came to a stop to look at the two squads before he gave a smile.

"Well, you all look impressive. It's glad to see the Joint Reconnaissance Squads in person." Eisenhower said.

"Sir, I think you are intimidating them." Galland joked. Eisenhower gave a small chuckle.

"I suppose that's true. I can't be helped considering my position. Now... ah, yes. Which one of you might be Sergeant Audrey Cosens?"

The two squads glanced over to Audrey in surprise. The Faraway Land witch was in total shock. Many thoughts were racing through her mind in questioning why Eisenhower asked for her. It took Audrey a few seconds before she nervously stepped forward.

"T-That w-would be me, s-sir!" Audrey saluted.

"Well then. From the after-action reports, it says that you were injured during the Bremerhaven Assault."

"Uh... y-yes s-sir." Audrey nervously replied.

"Well, it is good to see that you have made a full recovery, Sergeant Cosens."

"Ah... T-Thank you, sir!"

Eisenhower adjusted himself and came to stand in front of the two squads, alongside General Galland. The aide that accompanied him carried a black case.

"45th Joint Reconnaissance Squad and 52nd Saboteur Corps," Eisenhower said. "The brave actions you've performed exceeds words. 45th, the valor you presented during your mission rescue a fellow witch exceeded expectations. 52nd, the heroic actions you performed in Kursk amazed all of us. And with this new airfield in our control, we are grateful for the two squads for their efforts and sacrifices they have given every human on earth." Eisenhower nodded to Galland, who proceeded to continue where the Liberion General left off.

"Sergeant Audrey Cosens, Sergeant Wilma Crecy, and Staff Sergeant Danielle Vlug, may you please step forward." The three complied to the General's request and stepped forward. In their surprise, Galland opened the black case and held out four medals.

"For your actions both in the rescue mission of Lieutenant Erica Hartmann and for the capture of Bremerhaven Airfield, I present you three the Distinguished Service Cross. And for Sergeant Cosens, for your injuries under fire, I present you the Purple Heart. All courtesy of the Liberion Army." Both Eisenhower and Galland pinned the awards to the three recipients. After the medals were pinned, the three infantry witches saluted graciously.

"Master Sergeant Jacqueline Churchill, Sergeant Jane Hill, Lance Corporal Jessie Gordon, and Corporal Penelope Gratwick, please step forward." Galland spoke. The four stepped forward to face the two generals.

"For the bravery in the rescue mission of Lieutenant Hartmann, the heroism at Kursk and Volvograd, and for the capture of Bremerhaven Airfield, I present you four the Victoria Cross." Another round of medals were pinned, followed by enthusiastic salutes. Galland then proceeded to call forward the Olinova sisters.

"Corporal Sasha Olinova, Corporal Alexandra Olinova, and Sergeant Major Nona Olinova, for your bravery in Kursk, Volvograd, and in Bremerhaven, I present you three the Order of the Red Star by request of the Orussia.

"Now, Sergeant Saya Häyhä, Sergeant Yuki Okatsu, and Sergeant Francia Christen, please step forward." The three witches proudly stepped forward.

"Sergeant Saya Häyhä, for your bravery in Volvograd, Kursk, and Bremerhaven, alongside for recently reaching one hundred neuroi kills, the Sumous White Guard presents you the Mannerheim Cross." Eisenhower pinned the medal on the small witch while Galland continued.

"Sergeant Yuki Okatsu, for your bravery in Volvograd, Kursk, and Bremerhaven, the Imperial Fuso Army bestows you the Fuso Military Medal of Honor."

"And Sergeant Francia Christen. For your bravery in the Ardennes Forest, the rescue of Lieutenant Hartmann, and the capture of Bremerhaven, I am proud to award you the Iron Cross." Fran, stood there with utmost pride, and gave a sharp salute to the Karlsland General.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Eisenhower said with a booming voice. "Let's recognize these witches for their acts of valor."

"Attention! Salute!" The Captain of the MP's ordered.

Everyone, including Captain Speirs and Leonov, Lieutenant Hathcock, and even the members of the 501st saluted towards the proud witches of the 45th and 52nd. And each and every one of them saluted back with a great sense of pride.

* * *

"Can you fuckin' believe this! We all got medals!" Jessie yelled with excitement.

"Oi, language!" Penelope said with ferocity towards the younger Australis witch.

"S-Sorry... I meant, we all got freaking medals!" Jessie corrected, adding emphasis on her word change.

"That's not really helping..."

The members of the 45th and 52nd were walking down hallway to their barracks. Everyone was excited with the awards they all received while everyone congratulated each other for their medals. The only members not present with them were Wilma and Nona, whom had tasks to complete upon request of the captains. It was also noted to them that 501st members Sanya Litvyak and Eila Juutilainen received a Order of the Red Star and 1st Class Mannerheim Cross respectively for their aide in Bremerhaven as well (which Galland mentioned was the second one for the Sumous Ace). After the rather large award ceremony, the infantry witches were in high spirits. Especially Fran.

"I-I can't believe I received an Iron Cross from General Galland herself..." Fran thought aloud. She held her medal with reverence, as if it were the Holy Grail itself.

"I still can't believe we all received medals." Alex announced. "This must be the largest amount of medals given in one sitting."

"Just remember," Jane added. "Just because we all got medals doesn't mean we should slack off. We're still at war, you know."

"And Miss Priss ruins it for everyone..." Danny sighed.

"Hey! I'm just trying to state the facts! And why Miss Priss?!"

"I will agree with Sergeant Hill." Yuki interrupted. "We should stay vigilant with our efforts to combat the neuroi, whether we get medals or not."

"Thank you, Sergeant Okatsu. At least you agree."

"But I do think that we should celebrate our recent victory." Penelope interjected. "After all, good morale is a necessity. And we should still keep in high spirits." Danny, Jackie, and Jessie were especially happy with how Penelope phrased it.

"Well then, how about we have a little celebration by having Audrey make us some of her world-famous poutine!" Jackie said. Many eyes of the 45th widened with glee while many of the 52nd curiously listened.

"Yeah Audrey, why don't you cook us some poutine!" Danny butted in. Audrey blushed from the compliment that Danny and Jackie gave to her cooking.

"Well... I-I guess..."

"I don't think we should." Jane said. "The Generals are still on base. We should act properly should they come over to inspect here."

"Party pooper." Danny whined. Jane, once again, glared daggers at the Liberion.

"C'mon," Jackie said, "We should celebrate. We all have been awarded. And we might as well before we get deployed to another mission."

"No... I mean..." Jane began to have second thoughts as the temptation of poutine was bogging down her mind.

"C'mon..." Jackie leaned in onto her best friend and gave a nudge. Jane became flustered with how close Jackie was near her.

"A-Alright, f-fine. Let's just not cause too much of a scene..."

"Alright!" Danny and Jackie cheered while Audrey smiled happily. While Fran would have a say in the matter and side with Jane, she was too busy inspecting (or rather obsessing over) with her medal. The 52nd were eager to know whether the Faraway Land witch's specialty was worth all the praise that Danny and Jackie were making. The group walked through the corridors and turned corners to make their way for the witches' mess hall.

"Still, you sure we have the ingredients to make poutine?" Jane asked.

"I believe I can make it. And if I need to improvise, I will." Audrey assured.

"Alright... if you say so..." Jane said. She pushed the door and walked into the mess hall, followed by the group of 45th and 52nd witches. Jane was surprised to see another group inside the mess hall, which Wilma was addressing to.

"...and here is the mess hall. Shipments of food and rations come through the port and are delivered here. Most of the time, a cook prepares a meal schedule for everyone." Wilma informed to the group of 501st witches, "However, you are free to use the mess hall's kitchen if you would like. One of our witches does it constantly, so-" Both Wilma and her "tour group" of witches from the 501st noticed the gathering of infantry witches at the door. All of the infantry witches were all caught off guard. It took a second before Jane knew who they were in the presence of.

"Room, Attention! Officers present!" Jane yelled. The 45th and 52nd immediately lined up and saluted towards the higher-ranking officers. The witches of the 501st were all baffled at what they were witnessing. After a long wait, it was Major Sakamoto that dismissed the group.

"Alright. At ease." She said. Nona then came into the room. Quickly saluting the 501st, she called to the attention to all the infantry witches.

"Everyone, we're going to have a training exercise on the range to demonstrate to General Galland. Grab your equipment and weapons."

* * *

It's been a little over a year and a half since Galland approved of the formation of Joint Reconnaissance Squads. Since their birth just before the neuroi occupation of Venezia, she hoped that these squads would prove to be valuable assets in the war against the neuroi. And with the successes in Venezia, Afrika, Gallia, and now in Karlsland, she hoped to keep these infantry witches afloat despite some backlash from the higher-ups.

It was clear that the role of the JRS would be to act as a special operational unit to conduct more intense missions and reconnaissance. However, she already began to gather heat from the Allied Council. They feared that witches would soon take over the military's infantry role, which many anti-witch supporters were fretting over. She was glad that many Generals and Officials took her side when forming the JRS, including Rommel, Montgomery, Patton, Eisenhower, and even Winston Churchill and Kaiser Frederick. But the Allied Council kept hounding her about the reliability of her newly-created squad of infantry witches, especially when they were rarely used due to the now-difficult neuroi patterns.

As for now, she needed to keep watch on how the 45th and 52nd performed. With knowledge of how they operated in combat, she could be able to assign them missions that tailored to their capabilities. Reconnaissance can't be their sole role, especially with how dangerous the neuroi were becoming as they were cornered.

She stood alongside Eisenhower and Colonel Johnson as they watched the 45th and 52nd perform a training exercise that pitted the two squads against each other. Paint rounds were used as the two squads conducted their mock battle in what the Army Engineers called 'The Arena'. Essentially, it was a plot of land on the edge of the airfield that was covered in wooden barricades, uprooted tree stumps, and the remains of tanks that were left behind during the Karlsland evacuation in the earlier parts of the war. Here, the task of the two sides was to eliminate the other team, with one getting hit equaled to an 'out'. She watched the two squads face off intensely. It was already ten minutes in, and neither side lost a member of their squad. The Captains of the squads, along with the Lieutenant from the 45th, were acting a referees by spectating the match.

"They are impressive." Eisenhower commented. "Truly remarkable. Would you agree, Galland?"

"Indeed. Both squads are quickly adapting to the change of tactics the other employs."

"That is true." Colonel Johnson said. "However, I know that both squads truly use a primary method to advance. For the 45th, they specialize in stealth and more flexible attack patterns, truly adopting reconnaissance as their primary method of attack. That is why they split up in the beginning."

Galland watched two members of the 45th begin to flank around the 52nd, using cover to quietly sneak their way around while the rest of the 45th continued to suppress. It was the Faraway Lander and Karlslander of the squad. Those two attacked the 52nd from behind, forcing the 52nd to dig in deeper with their defensive ring.

"As for the 52nd, they favor assaulting their opponents. They are geared toward frontal assaults, yet support a great defense to make up for their specialty. That's why they are handling being surrounded so well and will most likely be able to break their besiegement."

On cue, the members of the 52nd began to quickly advance towards the 45th's positions. The Australis witches were dealing with the two flanking members of the 45th, while the rest continued to push with shields drawn. The 45th witches began to disperse once more, using their mobility to carefully reposition themselves. The machine gunner of the 45th continued to suppress the 52nd. And so the battle continued.

"It seems these two are evenly matched." Galland commented. Eisenhower cleared his throat.

"Galland, you received the report I handed to you a week earlier. And I assume you fully read it?"

"Correct, sir. That's why I've been moving the Joint Fighter Wings closer to the front lines. If what the intelligence reports are saying are indeed true, then we'll need every available witch, soldier, tank, and plane to combat the increasing activity the Berlin Hive is producing."

"I agree with your decisions. I've also made the decision to allocate Patton and Rommel to Europe. I expect the battle for Berlin to be coming soon. We just need to utilize the Joint Reconnaissance Squads to further confirm our suspicions."

"If you are thinking about flying them straight into Berlin to conduct reconnaissance missions right now, then I won't allow it. I know people die in war, especially this one, but I am not going to sacrifice them."

"I wasn't implying that, Galland. But we do need to utilize their abilities soon. There is only so much I can do to keep the others in the Allied Council at bay."

"Of course, they want results..." Galland sighed. She was far to acquainted with how some in the council were. Especially the 'bankers'.

Galland continued to watch the two squads as they fought each other. For the moment, it only served to distract her from the worry of what was about to come.

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, Audrey put on a towel to dry herself off. With a quick wipe down of her body, she put on her clothes, which consisted of a beige T-shirt and Army slacks. The reason for her shower was to rinse off the paint she got on her after facing Jessie's 12-gauge paint rounds to the chest, which hurt. Fortunately for the 45th, they won their mock battle soon afterwards. That was the reason why the 52nd was also in the shower room at the moment.

Stepping outside with her towel wrapper around her neck, she casually walked down the corridor, heading towards the Mess Hall. She was expecting the 45th to be awaiting her after she promised to make poutine. In all honesty, she was waiting to make poutine herself, since she loved to eat it too. Delicious french fries covered in gravy and soft cheese curds. The thought of the food made her mouth water at the slightest.

The thought of the Quebec delicacy distracted her from a set of hands that clutched her bosom.

"Gotcha!" Francesca cheered. A rightly deserved yelp came out of Audrey's mouth as the she felt the Romangan witch fondle with her 'assets'.

"Hmm... they are okay... I give them a B!" Francesca exclaimed nonchalantly. Audrey grew into a light scarlet as the Romangan kept her hold onto Audrey. In the corner of her eye, she saw a Liberion witch call out to them.

"Francesca! Stop that!" Shirley called out. Francesca let go and latched onto Shirley.

"I still like these better!" Francesca cheered.

"Sheesh... You know, you shouldn't do that to strangers." Shirley sighed. Audrey's was surprised to see the Romangan now clutching to her friend's chest, which the Liberion didn't mind.

"Sorry about my friend. It's a habit of her's." Shirley began to notice how familiar Audrey was. "Oh, you're one of the infantry witches, right?"

"U-Um, y-yes ma'am." Audrey answered rather timidly.

"Well, I'm Captain Charlotte Yeager, but you can call me Shirley. This one here is Pilot Officer Francesca Lucchini." Shirley replied. The breast-happy Romangan witch perked up with the mention of her name.

"Yup! Francesca Lucchini! You can call me Francesca or Lucchini if you want."

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"You don't need to be so stiff." Shirley mentioned, patting Audrey on the back. "I know we're technically your superiors, but we don't really mind if you address us in any other way."

"Yeah," Francesca added, "We aren't super duper strict. Call us whatever feels comfortable!"

"I beg to differ." The three turned around to see Captain Barkhorn and Lieutenant Hartmann walking down the corridor towards them.

"And there's Ms. 'Stick-up-her-you-know-where'..." Shirley grumbled. Audrey didn't know what the Liberion witch was grumbling about.

"Captain Yeager," Trude began, "As officers, we must set an example and follow the chain of command. You are breaking that chain of command."

"So? We shouldn't get so uptight. Besides, do you really want to have to salute back every single person?"

"I wouldn't mind, since that's how it's supposed to be done. Rules are rules, regulations are regulations, and they should be used and enforced. Otherwise, we set a bad example." Trude aimed her last sentence towards Shirley.

"Then why don't you address Minna as Commander Minna?" Shirley shot back.

"We've known each other for a very long time. She permitted me to just use her name since we're friends."

"Then how about Miyafuji? Why haven't you been forcing her to follow regulations, huh? I mean, she is a lower rank." Shirley could see that she hit a weak spot in Trude's argument.

"U-Um... w-well..." The Karlsland captain didn't know how to reply, which made Shirley smirk. Meanwhile, Erica noticed the familiar face amongst the three.

"Oh! It's you!" Erica ran to Audrey while the three members of the 501st were caught off guard.

"Wait, you know her?" All three replied.

"Uh-huh." Erica nodded. "She was part of the team that rescued me."

"What?!" All three were in shock.

"Y-Yes, ma'am's. I'm Sergeant Audrey Cosens of the 45th Joint Recon Squad. She's correct, I did participate in the mission to rescue Lieutenant Hartmann."

"In that case," Shirley said. "We should be thanking you."

"Yup!" Francesca added. "Thanks for you help!"

"Well, I guess I'm in your debt for rescuing my wingman..." Trude replied.

"N-No, you don't have to!" Audrey waved her hands defensively. "I was just following orders. I think anyone would help a fellow witch in need."

"C'mon," Erica butted in, "you don't have to be meek about it."

"Yeah," Shirley joined, "It's our fault not recognizing you guys for your help. By the way, where is the rest of your squad?"

"Um... I believe they are at the Mess Hall-" Audrey realized what she was going to do in the first place.

"Ah! I forgot I was supposed to meet them there! P-Pardon me, ma'am's!" Audrey hurried towards the Mess Hall.

"Wait, I wanna come too!" Erica joined. She too ran to follow the infantry witch.

"H-Hartmann!" Trude cried out. She two ran after her, leaving the duo behind. Unsure what to do, both Shirley and Francesca agreed to follow everyone else to the Mess hall.

It took a few more seconds until Audrey busted through the doors and into the Mess Hall. The witches of the 45th were casually awaiting, now startled and confused with the entrance Audrey made. Audrey caught her breath before she spoke.

"Sorry... for being late..." Audrey said between breaths. "I'll... get to cooking something..."

"O...kay?" Most of the witches of the 45th replied. Most were still wondering about the rather dramatic entrance Audrey gave as the witch slowly caught her breath.

"Hello!" Erica chimed in as she ran into the room, followed by Trude, then Shirley and Francesca. Of course, that gave another round of startled looks, but for different reasons.

"Room, Attention!" Jane called out. As usual, the 45th stood up from their seats and saluted the higher-ranking witches in the room.

In return, Trude and Shirley gave out two different responses: An "At ease" and a "Relax, no need". Thus, it prompted the two witches to butt heads again over the issue of Chain-of-Command while Erica and Francesca just watched from the sidelines with an exhausted sigh. All the while, the members of the 45th, with nervous and confused looks, watched the two captains while keeping their salutes up. For the 45th, the 501st wasn't what they exactly expected them to be.

"U-Uh..." Audrey quietly spoke with a nervous tone. "I'll g-go ahead and prepare the poutine..."

With that, Audrey quietly snuck herself into the kitchen while everyone else continued to watch the heated debate between the two captains. Both Erica and Francesca looked at the 45th witches with pity while thinking the same thing.

'_We're so sorry..._'

* * *

In the skies above Berlin, a pair of aircraft flew as they conducted an important reconnaissance mission. It was a single Liberion L-2 Grasshopper reconnaissance plane accompanied by a witch from the 8th Air Force, donning the P-51W Striker Unit. Together, the two planes hid amongst the dark clouds where the neuroi hive should be. However, their task was to locate the hive in order for intelligence to repot to the Allied council. Flying through the thick gray clouds, the witch and plane duo made their rounds to spot the hive's location and any neuroi activity.

"Sky Eye, any sightings on the hive up here?" The witch called out. 'Sky Eye', the pilot's moniker, replied back.

"Nothing in the skies Lieutenant Hemmings. I don't see anything for miles."

"That's weird..." The witch escort replied. The typical neuroi hive wouldn't be hard to spot, let alone the infamous Berlin Hive at that. The fact that the hive was being difficult to spot was confusing her.

"This is Sky Eye," the pilot replied, "let's make another pass around before we head back, how copy?"

"Affirmative Sky Eye." The witch replied. Both turned in unison and did another round in the skies above Berlin for a solid fifteen minutes. Again, no sight of the infamous Berlin Hive.

"This can't be..." The pilot said. "How the hell does a hive like this just not appear?"

"I don't see anything. Just dark clouds." The witch grumbled in frustration.

Another five more minutes passed without any success. Both were ready to throw in the towel and head home.

"Lieutenant Hemmings, I've got five more minutes till I'm bingo on fuel. After that, we gotta head home."

"Understood."

With another pass over the clouds of Berlin, the two made another attempt to search for the Hive of Berlin. But once more, they were out of luck as the hive was nowhere to be seen.

'_What the hell?_' The witch thought. '_Where could it be? There's no way a super hive like this can just not appear... wait... unless... no... but maybe..._'

"Sky Eye, I got a suspicion."

"I'm all ears."

"Let's proceed to fly under the cloud cover. Stay within range of the clouds, but I think we should be able to see Berlin without any threats."

"I dunno... that's a risky move."

"Just trust me, I have a feeling about this."

"Alright. Lead the way."

The witch proceeded to descend into the clouds with the L-2 Grasshopper in tow. It took a minute of tense flying through the murky clouds before the ground below was appearing into view. As soon as both the pilot and the witch got sight of Berlin, they were horrified.

"Dear God..." The pilot cursed. The witch couldn't believe her eyes at what she saw.

Underneath her, the ruined city of Berlin held thousands of glowing red dots that encompassed the entire city. Each dot she knew was a land neuroi of some kind. But that wasn't the worst. At the center lay a massive neuroi structure covered in the familiar neuroi hexagonal pattern. It was shaped like a shell with many ports on its sides. She watches the occasional neuroi drone, in dozens, fly in and out of those openings like bees from a beehive. Suddenly, the Berlin Hive gave off a bright glow as it emitted a distorted, deep neuroi shriek that sounded like a ship's horn. In response, every neuroi in Berlin cried out, giving an unimaginable sound that was sure to leave nightmares for both the pilot and the witch.

"Sky Eye, hurry up and take those pictures now. We're getting the hell out of here!" The witch nervously said.

"O-On it!" The pilot pressed the trigger. The camera on board began to take pictures by the dozens, capturing the horrifying scene below.

Lieutenant Hemmings thought that the war was soon to be over with how everything was turning out. Now, it was going to take every soldier, tank, plane, witch, and miracle in order to ensure that there was to be a neuroi-free Europe.

* * *

**Well, wasn't that a cheery image of what is to come? If you wanna know what the shriek the Berlin Hive would make, imagine a more twisted version of what the alien pods in War of the Worlds would sound like. And amplify the sound so it can be heard thousands of feet up. Nightmare fuel.**

**Anyways, I hope this chapter is fulfilling. Now, things are beginning to slow down for the 45th as they await for a new mission. They also will now get accustomed to the war heroines of the 501st and see how they truly act. And the 52nd maybe might eat delicious poutine. In case you are wondering, poutine is basically a Quebec dish. It is french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. Sounds so delicious. I've personally never had it, but seeing images makes my mouth water and my body crave it! Looks so good!**

**Now, I got some important topics to discuss:**

**First, if any of you are wondering, this will NOT focus on the 501st. In fact, they will be side characters at most that allow for some in-between moments to happen, just like many episodes in the Strike Witches Anime. Examples include the (in)famous episode 7's of both seasons along with Episode 9 in Season 2, which consist of mainly character development and non-serious moments, along with other characters being there just for other reasons. I plan to embody that idea into the story so it seems more 'Strike Witches'-y despite the 501st not being the main cast for this story. So expect a back and forth between serious, plot-development chapters and non-serious, character-development chapters. But most of all, the 45th will remain the main characters, with Audrey as our main protagonist just like how Yoshika was in the Anime.**

**Second, I also want to say how hard it is to develop my stories, both Operation Geronimo and Titans and Angels (the more popular of the two) and to again give another apology for my late-comings. Both Strike Witches and Titanfall (in my other story's case) are hard to use as reference material. Especially when you deviate from the main course of the 501st to pursue a different storyline. While there is plenty of information concerning about the 501st, along with many other of the JFW's, there is seldom about the Strike Witches world, the course of the Second Neuroi War, battles, and so forth. Thus, it forces me to do a big amount of research on actual battles, weapons, military units, vehicles, and such of World War II to keep the story as correct as I see it, considering that the SW universe is basically a parallel to ours. Even more so for Titanfall, since that has barely any wiki information to use and I have to make most of it up on the spot while making sure it works. So I hope that gives you an understanding for how my story writing goes, along with how I assume many other Strike Witches authors go as well. And I hope this makes you understand how hard it is and that you could bear with my long writing processes and dumb laziness a little longer. If not, I hope these long chapters make up for it. Gomen.**

**And as for the Titans and Angels fans out there, I am finishing up a final draft that went into the rough works for a while. I hope to put it up soon.**

**And a third note that is totally irrelevant: Ace Combat 7 has been officially been announced! The awesome fighter jet game of the Strangereal World is finally getting another (legit) game after so many years!**

Jackie: You're freaking over that?

**The Ace Combat series was my childhood! How can I not fangirl (or fan-guy?) about this?! With this, the new Girls und Panzer movie, the new Star Wars movie, and the new season of Strike Witches on the 502nd, I am hyped for the the next year! I flipped out when AC7 was announced!**

Jackie: Woah Ash, calm down... I understand your happy mood, but...

**Hehe, right... sorry. But that's all I want to say for now. You, Jackie?**

Jackie: Uhhh... well, maybe that I want to see this new 'Star Wars' movie of yours. And that Audrey's poutine is the best ever. Otherwise, I got nothing.

**Alright, guess that's it then. See you around!**

Jackie: See you soon!


End file.
